Franklin TN Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Tennessee · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
53.6%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
207 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,536
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Franklin TN ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Gai Roberts Reap | 77% | 23% | 75% | 248 | 294 |
| J. D Reap | 70% | 30% | 57.7% | 293 | 350 |
| Kerry Morgan | 67% | 33% | 66% | 100 | 113 |
| Marty S Turner | 65.2% | 34.8% | 58.7% | 92 | 103 |
| John R Daughtry | 64.2% | 35.8% | 47% | 296 | 338 |
| Brian Dougherty | 54.5% | 45.5% | 50% | 336 | 384 |
| Scott C Shimer | 48.5% | 51.5% | 41.2% | 342 | 385 |
| Elizabeth P Neuhoff | 45.7% | 54.3% | 37.7% | 289 | 333 |
| Michael E Finnie | 43.3% | 56.7% | 36.8% | 231 | 273 |
| Shannon H Heath | 34.4% | 65.6% | 25.9% | 294 | 368 |
| Gary J Suttles | 33.6% | 66.4% | 22.1% | 289 | 337 |
About the Franklin TN Social Security Hearing Office
The Franklin TN hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Tennessee. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 11 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 11 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 53.6%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. This rate represents the aggregate of all judge decisions at the office and includes both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 33.6% to 77%, a 43-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 207 days. There are currently 1,536 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 140 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.1%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Franklin TN Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Franklin TN, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 6 months and 207 days average processing time, claimants at Franklin TN can expect a total timeline of roughly 13 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.
Judges at Franklin TN have collectively issued 2,810 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 255 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 92 to 342 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Franklin TN Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Franklin TN?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33.6% to 77%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.1%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Franklin TN?
What is the average case processing time at Franklin TN?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.