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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
FORT SMITH
Region 06Rank #118 of 160
Avg processing
276days
+10 vs national
Processing time
276
9.2 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,187
FY receipts
902
FY dispositions
786
Active judges
4
Video hearings
27%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
66.8%
+9.0 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.15
Growing
Rank
#118
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 3 judges
56%
92%
0%Median 66.9%100%
At FORT SMITH, approval rates range from 55.9% (Jones, Bill) to 91.5% (Engel, David) — a 36-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 (66.9%), not the best case.
Judges at FORT SMITH (4)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engel, David | 91.5% | 165 | 151 | 14 | |
| McGee, Elisabeth | 66.9% | 329 | 220 | 109 | |
| Jones, Bill | 55.9% | 367 | 205 | 162 | |
| Romeo, David | 33.3% | 3 | 1 | 2 |