Judge Kristin Piepmeier
How is this compared?
This judge: 9 of 1,281 (0.7 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 623 of 20,714 (3.0 %). 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.
4 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 (1.0 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,281 decisions, 9 ended with relief, 97 with the case closed, 35 with voluntary departure and 1,140 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 9 | 0.7 % |
| Case closed | 97 | 7.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 35 | 2.7 % |
| Removal order | 1,140 | 89.0 % |
| Decided in absentia | 495 | 38.6 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Kristin Piepmeier, the share of cases with relief is 0.7 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (2.9 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Kristin Piepmeier, the share of removal orders is 89.0 %: higher than at the Santa Ana court (85.6 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Kristin Piepmeier, the share of cases decided in absentia is 38.6 %: higher than at the Santa Ana court (33.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Kristin Piepmeier, the share of people with an attorney is 70.0 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (73.2 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Kristin Piepmeier take about the same as at the Santa Ana court: a median of 772 days versus 755.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 18 of 20 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 5 of 20 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 12 of 20 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 24 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 (162 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (22).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 114 | 2 | 64 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 85 | 1 | 51 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 67 | 1 | 50 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 22 | 1 | 6 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 125 | 0 | 37 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 119 | 1 | 30 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 162 | 0 | 30 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 132 | 1 | 25 | down |
| May 2026 | 152 | 1 | 73 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 150 | 0 | 95 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 91 | 0 | 15 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 62 | 1 | 19 | 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 Kristin Piepmeier is Mexico (472), followed by Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The highest share with relief was for people from Guatemala (1.5 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 472 | 0.2 % | 39.4 % |
| Colombia | 196 | 0.0 % | 42.9 % |
| Guatemala | 135 | 1.5 % | 41.5 % |
| Nicaragua | 69 | 0.0 % | 43.5 % |
| Venezuela | 69 | 0.0 % | 66.7 % |
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 | 897 | 1.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 384 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Santa Ana Immigration Court: 1,280 decisions (99.9 %)
- Eloy Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)