Judge Richard Cato
How is this compared?
This judge: 12 of 2,055 (0.6 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 553 of 37,459 (1.5 %). 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 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 (1.8 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 2,055 decisions, 12 ended with relief, 588 with the case closed, 75 with voluntary departure and 1,380 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 12 | 0.6 % |
| Case closed | 588 | 28.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 75 | 3.7 % |
| Removal order | 1,380 | 67.2 % |
| Decided in absentia | 944 | 45.9 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Richard Cato, the share of cases with relief is 0.6 %: lower than at the Orlando court (1.4 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Richard Cato, the share of removal orders is 67.2 %: higher than at the Orlando court (66.5 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Richard Cato, the share of cases decided in absentia is 45.9 %: higher than at the Orlando court (45.1 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Richard Cato, the share of people with an attorney is 32.6 %: higher than at the Orlando court (29.7 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Richard Cato take longer than at the Orlando court: a median of 958 days versus 882.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 24 of 28 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 12 of 28 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 18 of 28 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 20 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jun 2026 (396 decisions) and the quietest Oct 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 90 | 0 | 55 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 33 | 3 | 11 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 118 | 5 | 49 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 189 | 1 | 65 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 123 | 1 | 46 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 195 | 1 | 85 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 249 | 0 | 108 | up |
| May 2026 | 218 | 0 | 77 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 396 | 1 | 167 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 270 | 0 | 177 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 174 | 0 | 104 | 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 Richard Cato is Cuba (639), followed by Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. The highest share with relief was for people from Cuba (1.1 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba | 639 | 1.1 % | 6.1 % |
| Venezuela | 270 | 0.0 % | 65.2 % |
| Guatemala | 237 | 0.0 % | 75.1 % |
| Honduras | 226 | 0.0 % | 70.4 % |
| Mexico | 156 | 0.0 % | 56.4 % |
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 | 670 | 1.8 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,385 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Orlando Immigration Court: 2,055 decisions (100.0 %)