What is Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman's background?
EOIR's notice says that Jonathan W. Hitesman was appointed in June 2020. Judge Hitesman earned a Bachelor of Science in 1990 from Norwich University, a Juris Doctor in 1997 from the University of Hawaii, and a Master of Laws in 2004 from the Georgetown University Law Center. From 1990 to 2020, he served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, first as an infantry officer and later as a judge advocate. In 2020, he retired as a senior appellate military judge with the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.
What does TRAC report about Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman's asylum decisions?
TRAC, a research center that began at Syracuse University, reports that for FY 2021 - 2026 (data covers the first 9 months of fiscal year 2026), Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman decided 230 asylum cases at Sacramento Immigration Court and denied 67.4 percent, based on its report of Aug 27, 2026. These are past figures for one court. They do not predict your case, which turns on your facts, evidence, nationality and representation, and TRAC cautions against simple comparisons between judges at different courts. Read the full report at TRAC, and talk to a lawyer about your own case.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Jonathan W. Hitesman in 1 alphabetical row. The recorded title is Assistant Chief Immigration Judge. The record is not an appointment history or an employment certification.
Dated court associations
EOIR’s court-specific tables associate this entry with Adelanto Immigration Court; Sacramento Immigration Court; Las Vegas Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.