Judge Donna S. Gopaul
How is this compared?
This judge: 0 of 484 (0.0 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 119 of 25,170 (0.5 %). 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
Fewer than 1 in 100 cases this judge decided got relief (0 of 484).
9 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 (0.0 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 484 decisions, 0 ended with relief, 4 with the case closed, 12 with voluntary departure and 468 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 0 | 0.0 % |
| Case closed | 4 | 0.8 % |
| Voluntary departure | 12 | 2.5 % |
| Removal order | 468 | 96.7 % |
| Decided in absentia | 438 | 90.5 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Donna S. Gopaul, the share of cases with relief is 0.0 %: similar than at the Atlanta court (0.5 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Donna S. Gopaul, the share of removal orders is 96.7 %: higher than at the Atlanta court (90.4 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Donna S. Gopaul, the share of cases decided in absentia is 90.5 %: higher than at the Atlanta court (76.1 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Donna S. Gopaul, the share of people with an attorney is 11.8 %: lower than at the Atlanta court (21.0 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Donna S. Gopaul take longer than at the Atlanta court: a median of 972 days versus 924.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 11 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 1 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 11 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 0 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jul 2026 (267 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jun 2026 | 26 | 0 | 21 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 267 | 0 | 246 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 191 | 0 | 171 | 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 Donna S. Gopaul is Venezuela (119), followed by Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. The highest share with relief was for people from Venezuela (0.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 119 | 0.0 % | 93.3 % |
| Mexico | 99 | 0.0 % | 95.0 % |
| Guatemala | 77 | 0.0 % | 88.3 % |
| Honduras | 63 | 0.0 % | 88.9 % |
| Colombia | 37 | 0.0 % | 94.6 % |
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 | 57 | 0.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 427 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Atlanta - W. Peachtree Street Immigration Court: 482 decisions (99.6 %)
- Atlanta - Ted Turner Drive Immigration Court: 2 decisions (0.4 %)