Phoenix Downtown Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Arizona · SSA Region 09
Approval Rate
55.4%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
276 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,865
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
Phoenix Downtown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marti Kirby | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Kathleen Mucerino | 88.6% | 11.4% | 81.1% | 132 | 160 |
| Yasmin Elias | 80% | 20% | 60% | 5 | 6 |
| Guy E Fletcher | 74.7% | 25.3% | 60.8% | 324 | 400 |
| John Gaffney | 73.3% | 26.7% | 68.2% | 390 | 488 |
| Sasha Paternoster | 49% | 51% | 42.5% | 153 | 175 |
| Carla L Waters | 48.7% | 51.3% | 23.9% | 339 | 416 |
| Dante M Alegre | 35% | 65% | 27.4% | 369 | 498 |
| Paul Isherwood | 27.8% | 72.2% | 22.7% | 194 | 231 |
| Tom Duann | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the Phoenix Downtown Social Security Hearing Office
The Phoenix Downtown hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Arizona. This office is in SSA Region 09 and currently has 10 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 10 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 55.4%, 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 27.8% to 100%, a 72-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 276 days. There are currently 1,865 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 187 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 54.1%. 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 Phoenix Downtown Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Phoenix Downtown, 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 7 months and 276 days average processing time, claimants at Phoenix Downtown can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Phoenix Downtown have collectively issued 1,907 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 191 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 390 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Phoenix Downtown Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Phoenix Downtown?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 27.8% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 54.1%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Phoenix Downtown?
What is the average case processing time at Phoenix Downtown?
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.