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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HOUSTON NORTH
Region 06Rank #13 of 160
Avg processing
231days
-33 vs national
Processing time
231
7.7 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
4,286
FY receipts
5,008
FY dispositions
3,285
Active judges
9
Video hearings
36%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.5%
-2.4 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.52
Growing
Rank
#13
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 9 judges
37%
71%
0%Median 53.7%100%
At HOUSTON NORTH, approval rates range from 37.1% (Sharp, William) to 71.3% (Gutierrez, David) — a 34-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 (53.7%), not the best case.
Judges at HOUSTON NORTH (9)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutierrez, David | 71.3% | 310 | 221 | 89 | |
| Simmons, D'Lisa | 69.2% | 367 | 254 | 113 | |
| Williams, Harry L. | 62.9% | 167 | 105 | 62 | |
| Howard, William B | 58.3% | 242 | 141 | 101 | |
| Helget, Thomas J | 53.7% | 361 | 194 | 167 | |
| Meyer, Gerald L | 53.1% | 286 | 152 | 134 | |
| Hebert, David | 50.0% | 250 | 125 | 125 | |
| Stubblefield, Ross | 46.0% | 428 | 197 | 231 | |
| Sharp, William | 37.1% | 283 | 105 | 178 |