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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
KNOXVILLE
Avg processing
268days
+2 vs national
Processing time
268
8.9 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,672
FY receipts
1,497
FY dispositions
955
Active judges
7
Video hearings
49%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
47.6%
-10.1 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.57
Growing
Rank
#102
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 6 judges
13%
79%
0%Median 51.4%100%
At KNOXVILLE, approval rates range from 12.7% (Francis, Joyce) to 79.1% (Jones, Stephanie M) — a 66-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 (51.4%), not the best case.
Judges at KNOXVILLE (7)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones, Stephanie M | 79.1% | 129 | 102 | 27 | |
| Dixon, James | 63.0% | 289 | 182 | 107 | |
| Spangler, Todd | 52.7% | 201 | 106 | 95 | |
| Firestone, Scott | 50.0% | 126 | 63 | 63 | |
| Burton, Benjamin | 44.1% | 213 | 94 | 119 | |
| Grissom, K Dickson | 33.3% | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
| Francis, Joyce | 12.7% | 259 | 33 | 226 |