Judge Cynthia Shepherd Torg
How is this compared?
This judge: 75 of 865 (8.7 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 1,027 of 16,286 (6.3 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".
Decisions over 12 months
In plain words
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 9 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
4 of every 10 cases were decided in absentia, without the person at the hearing. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.
With and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (10.3 % and 5.8 %).
Of their 865 decisions, 75 ended with relief, 62 with the case closed, 88 with voluntary departure and 640 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 75 | 8.7 % |
| Case closed | 62 | 7.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 88 | 10.2 % |
| Removal order | 640 | 74.0 % |
| Decided in absentia | 385 | 44.5 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Cynthia Shepherd Torg, the share of cases with relief is 8.7 %: higher than at the Annandale court (6.4 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Cynthia Shepherd Torg, the share of removal orders is 74.0 %: higher than at the Annandale court (72.1 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Cynthia Shepherd Torg, the share of cases decided in absentia is 44.5 %: higher than at the Annandale court (26.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Cynthia Shepherd Torg, the share of people with an attorney is 63.9 %: similar than at the Annandale court (64.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Cynthia Shepherd Torg take longer than at the Annandale court: a median of 848 days versus 719.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 4 of 24 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 2 of 24 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 19 of 24 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 91 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Oct 2025 (112 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (43).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 72 | 8 | 43 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 112 | 10 | 54 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 49 | 1 | 24 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 43 | 0 | 28 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 52 | 1 | 25 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 73 | 6 | 36 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 80 | 9 | 27 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 106 | 3 | 53 | up |
| May 2026 | 72 | 13 | 26 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 87 | 10 | 26 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 71 | 7 | 31 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 48 | 7 | 12 | down |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
The nationality with the most decisions before Cynthia Shepherd Torg is Honduras (147), followed by El Salvador, Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru. The highest share with relief was for people from Bolivia (9.7 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 147 | 7.5 % | 40.1 % |
| El Salvador | 135 | 1.5 % | 60.0 % |
| Bolivia | 114 | 9.7 % | 41.2 % |
| Guatemala | 98 | 4.1 % | 45.9 % |
| Peru | 59 | 8.5 % | 44.1 % |
Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.
With and without an attorney
| Decisions | Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| With an attorney | 553 | 10.3 % |
| Without an attorney | 312 | 5.8 % |
Where this judge decides
- Annandale Immigration Court: 836 decisions (96.7 %)
- Pearsall Immigration Court: 18 decisions (2.1 %)