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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NEWARK
Region 02Rank #146 of 160
Avg processing
301days
+35 vs national
Processing time
301
10.0 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
4,026
FY receipts
3,885
FY dispositions
2,672
Active judges
10
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
56.0%
-1.7 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.45
Growing
Rank
#146
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
24%
79%
0%Median 59.3%100%
At NEWARK, approval rates range from 24.3% (Lee, Peter) to 78.6% (Merrill, Theresa) — a 54-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 (59.3%), not the best case.
Judges at NEWARK (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill, Theresa | 78.6% | 215 | 169 | 46 | |
| West, Richard | 64.3% | 230 | 148 | 82 | |
| Shillin, Beth | 63.3% | 150 | 95 | 55 | |
| Costa, Leonard | 61.2% | 263 | 161 | 102 | |
| Campbell, John | 60.0% | 90 | 54 | 36 | |
| Allard, Sharon | 58.6% | 227 | 133 | 94 | |
| Shelton, Karen | 58.5% | 241 | 141 | 100 | |
| Damille, Ricardy | 55.4% | 314 | 174 | 140 | |
| Ayers, Kenneth | 44.8% | 268 | 120 | 148 | |
| Lee, Peter | 24.3% | 239 | 58 | 181 |