Back to all offices
Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NEWARK
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
55.2%
-2.6 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%
78%
0%Median 59.7%100%
At NEWARK, approval rates range from 24.2% (Lee, Peter) to 78.0% (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 (59.7%), not the best case.
Judges at NEWARK (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill, Theresa | 78.0% | 245 | 191 | 54 | |
| Shillin, Beth | 63.3% | 180 | 114 | 66 | |
| West, Richard | 62.1% | 269 | 167 | 102 | |
| Campbell, John | 60.0% | 90 | 54 | 36 | |
| Shelton, Karen | 59.9% | 282 | 169 | 113 | |
| Costa, Leonard | 59.4% | 293 | 174 | 119 | |
| Allard, Sharon | 57.8% | 277 | 160 | 117 | |
| Damille, Ricardy | 55.5% | 346 | 192 | 154 | |
| Ayers, Kenneth | 42.6% | 305 | 130 | 175 | |
| Lee, Peter | 24.2% | 289 | 70 | 219 |