Judge Walter H. Ruehle
How is this compared?
This judge: 16 of 117 (13.7 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 120 of 5,181 (2.3 %). 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, 14 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
3 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, 27 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (26.7 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 117 decisions, 16 ended with relief, 29 with the case closed, 14 with voluntary departure and 58 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 16 | 13.7 % |
| Case closed | 29 | 24.8 % |
| Voluntary departure | 14 | 12.0 % |
| Removal order | 58 | 49.6 % |
| Decided in absentia | 37 | 31.6 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Walter H. Ruehle, the share of cases with relief is 13.7 %: higher than at the Buffalo court (2.6 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Walter H. Ruehle, the share of removal orders is 49.6 %: lower than at the Buffalo court (70.4 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Walter H. Ruehle, the share of cases decided in absentia is 31.6 %: higher than at the Buffalo court (25.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Walter H. Ruehle, the share of people with an attorney is 51.3 %: similar than at the Buffalo court (51.7 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Walter H. Ruehle take less time than at the Buffalo court: a median of 629 days versus 729.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 8 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 4 of 8 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 3 of 8 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 97 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Sep 2025 (104 decisions) and the quietest Oct 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 104 | 9 | 37 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 4 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Mar 2026 | 3 | 3 | 0 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jun 2026 | 2 | 2 | 0 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 2 | 2 | 0 | up |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
No country reaches 25 decisions with this judge in the window.
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 | 60 | 26.7 % |
| Without an attorney | 57 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Buffalo Immigration Court: 117 decisions (100.0 %)