Orlando Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Florida · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
59.9%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
253 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
4,460
awaiting hearing
ALJs
12
active judges
Orlando ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah E Ellis | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Pamela Houston | 65% | 35% | 55.8% | 491 | 589 |
| Emily Kirk | 64.9% | 35.1% | 49.4% | 439 | 542 |
| Kevin Detherage | 62.3% | 37.7% | 46.3% | 374 | 463 |
| Douglas A Walker | 60.8% | 39.2% | 38% | 497 | 577 |
| Edgardo Rodriguez Quilichini | 60.6% | 39.4% | 52.5% | 381 | 475 |
| Janet Mahon | 56.4% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 530 | 619 |
| Maria T Mandry | 56.1% | 43.9% | 46.3% | 41 | 48 |
| E Rodriguez Quilichini | 54.6% | 45.4% | 46.4% | 97 | 116 |
| Mario Silva | 50% | 50% | 50% | 2 | 6 |
| Emily Statum | 49.3% | 50.7% | 45.2% | 454 | 559 |
| Jennifer Pustizzi | 12.5% | 87.5% | 12.5% | 8 | 12 |
Former Judges at Orlando
These judges have no recorded decisions at Orlando in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Ocampo | April 2025 | 71.2% | 281 |
| Pedro Tejada Rivera | April 2025 | 75.5% | 269 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Orlando Social Security Hearing Office
The Orlando hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Florida. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 12 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 12 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 59.9%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. 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 12.5% to 100%, a 88-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 253 days. There are currently 4,460 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 372 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 48.8%. 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 Orlando Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Orlando, 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 8 months and 253 days average processing time, claimants at Orlando can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Orlando have collectively issued 3,315 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 276 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 530 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Orlando Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Orlando?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 12.5% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 48.8%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Orlando?
How long do disability cases take at Orlando?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
What percentage of approvals at Orlando are fully favorable?
How does Orlando rank among other hearing offices in the state?
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