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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
BIRMINGHAM
Region 04Rank #49 of 160
Avg processing
247days
-19 vs national
Processing time
247
8.2 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,355
FY receipts
2,585
FY dispositions
2,676
Active judges
8
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
49.8%
-8.0 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.97
Shrinking
Rank
#49
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 8 judges
36%
75%
0%Median 50.2%100%
At BIRMINGHAM, approval rates range from 35.6% (Merchant, George W.) to 75.2% (Turner, Brian) — a 40-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 (50.2%), not the best case.
Judges at BIRMINGHAM (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turner, Brian | 75.2% | 326 | 245 | 81 | |
| Waller, Robert | 64.0% | 50 | 32 | 18 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | 57.4% | 298 | 171 | 127 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | 54.7% | 340 | 186 | 154 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | 45.7% | 247 | 113 | 134 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | 41.4% | 304 | 126 | 178 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | 39.2% | 401 | 157 | 244 | |
| Merchant, George W. | 35.6% | 362 | 129 | 233 |