Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court.
Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Scott D Criss earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from California State University at Long Beach and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from The John Marshall Law School. Before his appointment, he served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Charlotte, North Carolina (2008-2017), and as an assistant state's attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago (2004-2008).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
3,588
Completions per year
21,525 total
2.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
30.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
54.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
8.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
124 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.
79%
Bond requests granted
186 bond decisions Moderate
$9,000
Median bond when set
125 bonds with amounts
12.2%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 79%
Court average 100% · 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
11.8%
591 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.3%
911 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
30.5%
95 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
75%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
90.2%⚠
41 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.7%
131 decisions Moderate
11.8%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 591 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
11.8%
This court
12.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 23% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 334 decisions since 2021
19.8%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 257 decisions since 2021
1.6%
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.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
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).