Judge David M. Paxton
How is this compared?
This judge: 11 of 1,302 (0.8 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 54 of 14,673 (0.4 %). 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, 1 got relief. Very few cases end with relief.
7 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 (3.6 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,302 decisions, 11 ended with relief, 39 with the case closed, 71 with voluntary departure and 1,181 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 11 | 0.8 % |
| Case closed | 39 | 3.0 % |
| Voluntary departure | 71 | 5.5 % |
| Removal order | 1,181 | 90.7 % |
| Decided in absentia | 849 | 65.2 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With David M. Paxton, the share of cases with relief is 0.8 %: similar than at the Houston court (0.4 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With David M. Paxton, the share of removal orders is 90.7 %: higher than at the Houston court (77.6 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With David M. Paxton, the share of cases decided in absentia is 65.2 %: higher than at the Houston court (48.7 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With David M. Paxton, the share of people with an attorney is 23.5 %: lower than at the Houston court (26.8 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with David M. Paxton take longer than at the Houston court: a median of 629 days versus 575.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 11 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 1 of 11 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 10 of 11 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 27 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was May 2026 (188 decisions) and the quietest Nov 2025 (64).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 102 | 0 | 50 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 174 | 0 | 99 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 64 | 0 | 43 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 82 | 0 | 62 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 84 | 1 | 63 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 69 | 0 | 49 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 84 | 0 | 36 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 92 | 2 | 60 | up |
| May 2026 | 188 | 1 | 146 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 163 | 3 | 117 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 116 | 4 | 85 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 84 | 0 | 39 | 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 David M. Paxton is Honduras (338), followed by Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from Venezuela (2.3 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 338 | 0.3 % | 70.1 % |
| Mexico | 221 | 0.9 % | 72.9 % |
| Venezuela | 178 | 2.3 % | 72.5 % |
| Cuba | 127 | 0.0 % | 29.1 % |
| El Salvador | 88 | 0.0 % | 77.3 % |
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 | 306 | 3.6 % |
| Without an attorney | 996 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Houston - S. Gessner Road Immigration Court: 1,188 decisions (91.2 %)
- LaSalle Immigration Court: 102 decisions (7.8 %)
- Conroe Immigration Court: 12 decisions (0.9 %)