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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HOUSTON NORTH
Avg processing
231days
-35 vs national
Processing time
231
7.7 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
4,324
FY receipts
5,447
FY dispositions
3,686
Active judges
9
Video hearings
36%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
56.1%
-1.6 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.48
Growing
Rank
#12
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 9 judges
37%
71%
0%Median 53.3%100%
At HOUSTON NORTH, approval rates range from 37.1% (Sharp, William) to 71.2% (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 (53.3%), not the best case.
Judges at HOUSTON NORTH (9)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutierrez, David | 71.2% | 424 | 302 | 122 | |
| Simmons, D'Lisa | 68.6% | 477 | 327 | 150 | |
| Williams, Harry L. | 63.5% | 219 | 139 | 80 | |
| Howard, William B | 60.0% | 320 | 192 | 128 | |
| Helget, Thomas J | 53.3% | 458 | 244 | 214 | |
| Meyer, Gerald L | 53.0% | 383 | 203 | 180 | |
| Hebert, David | 50.7% | 335 | 170 | 165 | |
| Stubblefield, Ross | 46.6% | 588 | 274 | 314 | |
| Sharp, William | 37.1% | 283 | 105 | 178 |