Judge Leon J. Francis
How is this compared?
This judge: 41 of 1,061 (3.9 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 592 of 20,936 (2.8 %). 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.
3 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, 5 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (5.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,061 decisions, 41 ended with relief, 102 with the case closed, 28 with voluntary departure and 890 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 41 | 3.9 % |
| Case closed | 102 | 9.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 28 | 2.6 % |
| Removal order | 890 | 83.9 % |
| Decided in absentia | 336 | 31.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Leon J. Francis, the share of cases with relief is 3.9 %: higher than at the Santa Ana court (2.9 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Leon J. Francis, the share of removal orders is 83.9 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (85.6 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Leon J. Francis, the share of cases decided in absentia is 31.7 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (33.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Leon J. Francis, the share of people with an attorney is 71.3 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (73.2 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Leon J. Francis take less time than at the Santa Ana court: a median of 716 days versus 755.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 9 of 20 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 10 of 20 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 5 of 20 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 69 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Mar 2026 (129 decisions) and the quietest Jul 2026 (60).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 105 | 1 | 67 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 115 | 11 | 61 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 77 | 2 | 47 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 92 | 1 | 37 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 117 | 2 | 36 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 72 | 0 | 25 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 129 | 1 | 18 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 75 | 10 | 11 | down |
| May 2026 | 69 | 1 | 14 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 61 | 1 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 60 | 6 | 1 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 89 | 5 | 19 | up |
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 Leon J. Francis is Mexico (345), followed by Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The highest share with relief was for people from Nicaragua (3.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 345 | 0.3 % | 31.3 % |
| Guatemala | 128 | 0.0 % | 32.8 % |
| Colombia | 112 | 0.0 % | 43.8 % |
| Venezuela | 80 | 0.0 % | 52.5 % |
| Nicaragua | 66 | 3.0 % | 39.4 % |
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 | 756 | 5.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 305 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Santa Ana Immigration Court: 1,058 decisions (99.7 %)
- Adelanto Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)
- Honolulu Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)
- Laredo Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)