Judge Joyce Bakke Varzandeh
How is this compared?
This judge: 45 of 1,099 (4.1 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 476 of 16,292 (2.9 %). 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, 4 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
6 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, 7 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (7.3 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,099 decisions, 45 ended with relief, 195 with the case closed, 13 with voluntary departure and 846 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 45 | 4.1 % |
| Case closed | 195 | 17.7 % |
| Voluntary departure | 13 | 1.2 % |
| Removal order | 846 | 77.0 % |
| Decided in absentia | 689 | 62.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Joyce Bakke Varzandeh, the share of cases with relief is 4.1 %: higher than at the Los Angeles court (3.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Joyce Bakke Varzandeh, the share of removal orders is 77.0 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (82.2 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Joyce Bakke Varzandeh, the share of cases decided in absentia is 62.7 %: higher than at the Los Angeles court (50.8 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Joyce Bakke Varzandeh, the share of people with an attorney is 56.1 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (60.1 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Joyce Bakke Varzandeh take longer than at the Los Angeles court: a median of 1,098 days versus 907.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 5 of 14 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 5 of 14 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 13 of 14 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 71 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Oct 2025 (176 decisions) and the quietest Apr 2026 (21).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 155 | 4 | 123 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 176 | 5 | 127 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 105 | 0 | 81 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 107 | 2 | 64 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 51 | 0 | 11 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 33 | 1 | 2 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 40 | 13 | 5 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 21 | 4 | 4 | down |
| May 2026 | 44 | 8 | 28 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 112 | 2 | 93 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 174 | 5 | 101 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 81 | 1 | 50 | 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 Joyce Bakke Varzandeh is Mexico (270), followed by El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and China. The highest share with relief was for people from China (8.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 270 | 5.9 % | 61.1 % |
| El Salvador | 168 | 1.8 % | 57.1 % |
| Guatemala | 165 | 1.8 % | 63.6 % |
| Colombia | 83 | 1.2 % | 72.3 % |
| China | 75 | 8.0 % | 66.7 % |
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 | 617 | 7.3 % |
| Without an attorney | 482 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Los Angeles - West Los Angeles Immigration Court: 1,057 decisions (96.2 %)
- Denver Immigration Court: 24 decisions (2.2 %)
- Newark Immigration Court: 18 decisions (1.6 %)