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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NEWARK
Region 02Rank #145 of 160
Avg processing
301days
+37 vs national
Processing time
301
10.0 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
3,967
FY receipts
3,502
FY dispositions
2,348
Active judges
10
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
56.2%
-1.6 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.49
Growing
Rank
#145
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
24%
79%
0%Median 59.8%100%
At NEWARK, approval rates range from 23.8% (Lee, Peter) to 79.3% (Merrill, Theresa) — a 55-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 (59.8%), not the best case.
Judges at NEWARK (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill, Theresa | 79.3% | 193 | 153 | 40 | |
| West, Richard | 64.5% | 200 | 129 | 71 | |
| Shillin, Beth | 63.9% | 133 | 85 | 48 | |
| Costa, Leonard | 60.5% | 233 | 141 | 92 | |
| Campbell, John | 60.0% | 90 | 54 | 36 | |
| Shelton, Karen | 59.6% | 208 | 124 | 84 | |
| Allard, Sharon | 56.5% | 200 | 113 | 87 | |
| Damille, Ricardy | 55.6% | 277 | 154 | 123 | |
| Ayers, Kenneth | 43.9% | 237 | 104 | 133 | |
| Lee, Peter | 23.8% | 189 | 45 | 144 |