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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
KNOXVILLE
Region 04Rank #101 of 160
Avg processing
267days
+3 vs national
Processing time
267
8.9 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,569
FY receipts
1,222
FY dispositions
783
Active judges
6
Video hearings
49%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
48.0%
-9.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.56
Growing
Rank
#101
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
11%
75%
0%Median 54.7%100%
At KNOXVILLE, approval rates range from 10.8% (Francis, Joyce) to 74.7% (Jones, Stephanie M) — a 64-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 (54.7%), not the best case.
Judges at KNOXVILLE (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones, Stephanie M | 74.7% | 83 | 62 | 21 | |
| Dixon, James | 63.8% | 221 | 141 | 80 | |
| Spangler, Todd | 54.7% | 128 | 70 | 58 | |
| Firestone, Scott | 52.4% | 103 | 54 | 49 | |
| Grissom, K Dickson | 33.3% | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
| Francis, Joyce | 10.8% | 186 | 20 | 166 |