Judge Katherine Estes
How is this compared?
This judge: 1 of 115 (0.9 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 104 of 10,089 (1.0 %). 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.
5 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
There are not enough cases with and without an attorney to compare them.
Of their 115 decisions, 1 ended with relief, 7 with the case closed, 45 with voluntary departure and 62 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 1 | 0.9 % |
| Case closed | 7 | 6.1 % |
| Voluntary departure | 45 | 39.1 % |
| Removal order | 62 | 53.9 % |
| Decided in absentia | 6 | 5.2 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Katherine Estes, the share of cases with relief is 0.9 %: similar than at the Kansas City court (1.0 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Katherine Estes, the share of removal orders is 53.9 %: lower than at the Kansas City court (64.9 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Katherine Estes, the share of cases decided in absentia is 5.2 %: lower than at the Kansas City court (36.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Katherine Estes, the share of people with an attorney is 30.4 %: higher than at the Kansas City court (29.2 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Katherine Estes take less time than at the Kansas City court: a median of 107 days versus 871.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 4 of 8 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 5 of 8 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 4 of 8 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 28 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 (70 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 | 14 | 0 | 6 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 70 | 1 | 0 | up |
| May 2026 | 31 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
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 Katherine Estes is Mexico (34). The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (0.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 34 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % |
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 | limited data | — |
| Without an attorney | 80 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Kansas City Immigration Court: 115 decisions (100.0 %)