Judge Valerie A. Burch
How is this compared?
This judge: 20 of 1,944 (1.0 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 178 of 9,215 (1.9 %). 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.
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 (2.2 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,944 decisions, 20 ended with relief, 30 with the case closed, 137 with voluntary departure and 1,757 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 20 | 1.0 % |
| Case closed | 30 | 1.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 137 | 7.0 % |
| Removal order | 1,757 | 90.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 746 | 38.4 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Valerie A. Burch, the share of cases with relief is 1.0 %: lower than at the Indianapolis court (1.8 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Valerie A. Burch, the share of removal orders is 90.4 %: higher than at the Indianapolis court (87.7 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Valerie A. Burch, the share of cases decided in absentia is 38.4 %: lower than at the Indianapolis court (45.5 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Valerie A. Burch, the share of people with an attorney is 46.9 %: higher than at the Indianapolis court (45.6 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Valerie A. Burch take about the same as at the Indianapolis court: a median of 972 days versus 981.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 6 of 9 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 6 of 9 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 6 of 9 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 32 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Aug 2026 (359 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (56).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 69 | 2 | 11 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 89 | 5 | 3 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 63 | 4 | 4 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 56 | 1 | 9 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 74 | 3 | 5 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 142 | 1 | 2 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 156 | 1 | 0 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 142 | 0 | 0 | down |
| May 2026 | 136 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 315 | 0 | 196 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 343 | 3 | 235 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 359 | 0 | 281 | up |
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 Valerie A. Burch is Mexico (555), followed by Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Venezuela. The highest share with relief was for people from Venezuela (5.1 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 555 | 0.2 % | 38.2 % |
| Nicaragua | 250 | 0.8 % | 58.8 % |
| Honduras | 231 | 0.0 % | 56.7 % |
| Guatemala | 195 | 0.0 % | 40.5 % |
| Venezuela | 178 | 5.1 % | 35.4 % |
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 | 911 | 2.2 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,033 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Indianapolis Immigration Court: 1,933 decisions (99.4 %)
- LaSalle Immigration Court: 11 decisions (0.6 %)