Appointed April 1995 · President Bill Clinton→ Attorney General Janet Reno(AG inferred from date)
31 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Richard D. Walton earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1976 from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire and a Juris Doctor in 1979 from Indiana University. Before his appointment he was in private practice in Rhode Island (1979-1981) and in Los Angeles, practiced immigration law at a Los Angeles firm (1987-1988) and with the Law Office of Richard Fraade in Beverly Hills (1988-1993), and was in private practice in Los Angeles (1993-1995). He is a member of the Rhode Island Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
109
Completions per year
218 total
0.5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
27.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
1.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 0 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
3 bond decisions Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
17.6%⚠
17 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
0%⚠
24 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
100%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
17.6%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 17 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
17.6%
This court
10.4%
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 · 11 decisions since 2021
27.3%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 6 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).