Judge Brenda O'Malley
How is this compared?
This judge: 171 of 1,673 (10.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 458 of 10,840 (4.2 %). 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, 10 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 an attorney, 16 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (15.7 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,673 decisions, 171 ended with relief, 547 with the case closed, 38 with voluntary departure and 917 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 171 | 10.2 % |
| Case closed | 547 | 32.7 % |
| Voluntary departure | 38 | 2.3 % |
| Removal order | 917 | 54.8 % |
| Decided in absentia | 729 | 43.6 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Brenda O'Malley, the share of cases with relief is 10.2 %: higher than at the Boston court (5.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Brenda O'Malley, the share of removal orders is 54.8 %: lower than at the Boston court (73.7 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Brenda O'Malley, the share of cases decided in absentia is 43.6 %: lower than at the Boston court (49.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Brenda O'Malley, the share of people with an attorney is 65.3 %: higher than at the Boston court (48.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Brenda O'Malley take longer than at the Boston court: a median of 2,014 days versus 1,237.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 4 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 8 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 12 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 93 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Apr 2026 (202 decisions) and the quietest Aug 2026 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 134 | 6 | 49 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 155 | 7 | 87 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 142 | 20 | 53 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 116 | 18 | 57 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 198 | 5 | 123 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 184 | 17 | 86 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 177 | 13 | 79 | down |
| Apr 2026 | 202 | 15 | 84 | up |
| May 2026 | 171 | 30 | 75 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 137 | 31 | 27 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 57 | 9 | 9 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 Brenda O'Malley is Brazil (402), followed by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Colombia. The highest share with relief was for people from El Salvador (20.7 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 402 | 3.0 % | 43.0 % |
| Guatemala | 319 | 16.0 % | 37.3 % |
| El Salvador | 280 | 20.7 % | 27.5 % |
| Honduras | 142 | 18.3 % | 40.8 % |
| Colombia | 101 | 5.0 % | 66.3 % |
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 | 1,092 | 15.7 % |
| Without an attorney | 581 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Boston Immigration Court: 1,651 decisions (98.7 %)
- LaSalle Immigration Court: 19 decisions (1.1 %)
- Newark Immigration Court: 3 decisions (0.2 %)