Judge John T. Driscoll
How is this compared?
This judge: 30 of 150 (20.0 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 266 of 2,005 (13.3 %). 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, 20 got relief. That is more than 1 in 7 cases, though every case is different.
15 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 150 decisions, 30 ended with relief, 2 with the case closed, 17 with voluntary departure and 101 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 30 | 20.0 % |
| Case closed | 2 | 1.3 % |
| Voluntary departure | 17 | 11.3 % |
| Removal order | 101 | 67.3 % |
| Decided in absentia | 22 | 14.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With John T. Driscoll, the share of cases with relief is 20.0 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (14.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With John T. Driscoll, the share of removal orders is 67.3 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (45.1 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With John T. Driscoll, the share of cases decided in absentia is 14.7 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (0.0 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With John T. Driscoll, the share of people with an attorney is 78.0 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (64.2 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with John T. Driscoll take longer than at the Otay Mesa court: a median of 239 days versus 145.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 6 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 1 of 6 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 6 of 6 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 99 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was May 2026 (51 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 | 18 | 2 | 11 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 39 | 10 | 10 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 24 | 3 | 1 | down |
| May 2026 | 51 | 13 | 0 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 18 | 2 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| 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 John T. Driscoll 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 % | 20.6 % |
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 | 117 | 25.6 % |
| Without an attorney | limited data | — |
Where this judge decides
- Otay Mesa Immigration Court: 89 decisions (59.3 %)
- Los Angeles - West Los Angeles Immigration Court: 37 decisions (24.7 %)
- Imperial Immigration Court: 24 decisions (16.0 %)