The Honorable Immigration Judge James F. Mccarthy III
Cleveland, OH Immigration Court
Appointed May 2019 · President Donald Trump→ Attorney General William P. Barr
7 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge James F. McCarthy III earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1974 from Xavier University and a Juris Doctor in 1977 from the Ohio State University College of Law. From 1995 to 2019, he was a shareholder at the law firm Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild, and from 1983 to 1995 he served as an assistant city solicitor and chief trial counsel for Cincinnati while also serving as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy. He earlier practiced at Smith & Schnacke (1981-1983) and served on active duty as a Navy judge advocate (1977-1981). He is a member of the Ohio Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
56
Completions per year
225 total
5.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
33.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
4.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
14.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
30%
Appeals remanded or reversed
20 appeals decided
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
100%⚠
Bond requests granted
2 bond decisions Too few cases
$10,500
Median bond when set
2 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 100%
Court average 37.1% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
20%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
15%⚠
20 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
33.3%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
70%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
90.9%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
20%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 10 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
20%
This court
19.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 7 decisions since 2021
28.6%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 3 decisions since 2021
0%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).