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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
ALBUQUERQUE
Region 06Rank #97 of 160
Avg processing
264days
-2 vs national
Processing time
264
8.8 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,145
FY receipts
2,219
FY dispositions
1,542
Active judges
18
Video hearings
39%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
53.7%
-4.0 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.44
Growing
Rank
#97
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 16 judges
40%
82%
0%Median 51.1%100%
At ALBUQUERQUE, approval rates range from 39.7% (Van Vleck, Deborah J) to 81.7% (Stults, Douglas) — a 42-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (51.1%), not the best case.
Judges at ALBUQUERQUE (18)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stults, Douglas | 81.7% | 295 | 241 | 54 | |
| Suing, Timothy | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| Fellabaum, Jennifer | 62.3% | 207 | 129 | 78 | |
| Hansen, Holly | 60.2% | 319 | 192 | 127 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | 58.0% | 50 | 29 | 21 | |
| Lough, Sarah | 57.9% | 273 | 158 | 115 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | 57.1% | 240 | 137 | 103 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | 56.3% | 144 | 81 | 63 | |
| Benedict, David | 52.8% | 286 | 151 | 135 | |
| Lindsay, Michelle | 52.2% | 23 | 12 | 11 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | 49.5% | 285 | 141 | 144 | |
| Leppala, Michael | 49.4% | 259 | 128 | 131 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | 47.3% | 205 | 97 | 108 | |
| O'Melinn, Barry | 47.2% | 286 | 135 | 151 | |
| Midles, Matt | 46.9% | 196 | 92 | 104 | |
| Timmins, Talia | 46.9% | 228 | 107 | 121 | |
| Freedman, Robert | 43.3% | 305 | 132 | 173 | |
| Van Vleck, Deborah J | 39.7% | 234 | 93 | 141 |