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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HOUSTON NORTH
Region 06Rank #12 of 160
Avg processing
231days
-35 vs national
Processing time
231
7.7 months
Hearing wait
7.0
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
55.7%
-2.1 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 53.5%100%
At HOUSTON NORTH, approval rates range from 37.1% (Sharp, William) to 70.8% (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 (53.5%), not the best case.
Judges at HOUSTON NORTH (9)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutierrez, David | 70.8% | 346 | 245 | 101 | |
| Simmons, D'Lisa | 69.9% | 412 | 288 | 124 | |
| Williams, Harry L. | 64.2% | 187 | 120 | 67 | |
| Howard, William B | 59.0% | 278 | 164 | 114 | |
| Helget, Thomas J | 53.5% | 404 | 216 | 188 | |
| Meyer, Gerald L | 51.7% | 325 | 168 | 157 | |
| Hebert, David | 49.5% | 285 | 141 | 144 | |
| Stubblefield, Ross | 46.7% | 493 | 230 | 263 | |
| Sharp, William | 37.1% | 283 | 105 | 178 |