Judge Mary C. Lee
How is this compared?
This judge: 103 of 2,285 (4.5 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 610 of 14,884 (4.1 %). 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, 5 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
7 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, 12 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (11.7 % and 0.1 %).
Of their 2,285 decisions, 103 ended with relief, 115 with the case closed, 128 with voluntary departure and 1,939 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 103 | 4.5 % |
| Case closed | 115 | 5.0 % |
| Voluntary departure | 128 | 5.6 % |
| Removal order | 1,939 | 84.9 % |
| Decided in absentia | 1,511 | 66.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Mary C. Lee, the share of cases with relief is 4.5 %: similar than at the Philadelphia court (4.2 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Mary C. Lee, the share of removal orders is 84.9 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (83.2 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Mary C. Lee, the share of cases decided in absentia is 66.1 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (57.8 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Mary C. Lee, the share of people with an attorney is 38.2 %: lower than at the Philadelphia court (39.0 %) and similar than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Mary C. Lee take about the same as at the Philadelphia court: a median of 903 days versus 942.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 7 of 14 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 4 of 14 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 5 of 14 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 74 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 (317 decisions) and the quietest Aug 2026 (130).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 274 | 10 | 234 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 163 | 6 | 85 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 156 | 4 | 123 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 161 | 4 | 125 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 134 | 10 | 70 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 142 | 8 | 76 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 206 | 22 | 107 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 152 | 5 | 73 | down |
| May 2026 | 220 | 5 | 118 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 317 | 9 | 249 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 230 | 9 | 182 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 130 | 11 | 69 | 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 Mary C. Lee is Guatemala (378), followed by Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Honduras. The highest share with relief was for people from Ecuador (2.8 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 378 | 0.8 % | 75.9 % |
| Brazil | 347 | 1.2 % | 61.7 % |
| Dominican Republic | 259 | 0.8 % | 86.5 % |
| Ecuador | 180 | 2.8 % | 70.0 % |
| Honduras | 171 | 0.0 % | 63.7 % |
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 | 872 | 11.7 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,413 | 0.1 % |
Where this judge decides
- Philadelphia Immigration Court: 2,263 decisions (99.0 %)
- Pearsall Immigration Court: 22 decisions (1.0 %)