Judge John C. Barnes
How is this compared?
This judge: 7 of 1,293 (0.5 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 220 of 24,096 (0.9 %). 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.
20 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (1.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,293 decisions, 7 ended with relief, 117 with the case closed, 262 with voluntary departure and 907 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 7 | 0.5 % |
| Case closed | 117 | 9.0 % |
| Voluntary departure | 262 | 20.3 % |
| Removal order | 907 | 70.2 % |
| Decided in absentia | 260 | 20.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With John C. Barnes, the share of cases with relief is 0.5 %: similar than at the Memphis court (0.9 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With John C. Barnes, the share of removal orders is 70.2 %: lower than at the Memphis court (80.9 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With John C. Barnes, the share of cases decided in absentia is 20.1 %: lower than at the Memphis court (59.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With John C. Barnes, the share of people with an attorney is 38.0 %: higher than at the Memphis court (25.0 %) and similar than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with John C. Barnes take less time than at the Memphis court: a median of 417 days versus 781.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 15 of 20 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 13 of 20 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 7 of 20 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 19 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 (268 decisions) and the quietest Aug 2026 (1).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 119 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 135 | 1 | 0 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 102 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 81 | 2 | 0 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 101 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 107 | 1 | 1 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 95 | 0 | 29 | down |
| Apr 2026 | 268 | 1 | 117 | up |
| May 2026 | 129 | 0 | 41 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 144 | 0 | 64 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 11 | 0 | 8 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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 John C. Barnes is Mexico (232), followed by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Cuba. The highest share with relief was for people from Guatemala (1.6 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 232 | 0.4 % | 31.0 % |
| Guatemala | 193 | 1.6 % | 16.6 % |
| El Salvador | 179 | 0.6 % | 6.7 % |
| Honduras | 167 | 0.6 % | 19.2 % |
| Cuba | 154 | 0.0 % | 7.8 % |
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 | 491 | 1.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 802 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Annandale Immigration Court: 682 decisions (52.8 %)
- Memphis Immigration Court: 361 decisions (27.9 %)
- Dallas Immigration Court: 245 decisions (19.0 %)
- Pearsall Immigration Court: 5 decisions (0.4 %)