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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PHOENIX DOWNTOWN
Avg processing
273days
+7 vs national
Processing time
273
9.1 months
Hearing wait
10.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,507
FY receipts
1,438
FY dispositions
1,337
Active judges
6
Video hearings
—
Avg approval rate
61.2%
+3.5 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.08
Growing
Rank
#113
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 6 judges
31%
75%
0%Median 66.0%100%
At PHOENIX DOWNTOWN, approval rates range from 31.2% (Alegre, Dante M.) to 75.3% (Gaffney, John) — a 44-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 (66.0%), not the best case.
Judges at PHOENIX DOWNTOWN (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffney, John | 75.3% | 381 | 287 | 94 | |
| Davis, Charles | 75.1% | 329 | 247 | 82 | |
| Fletcher, Guy E. | 72.8% | 158 | 115 | 43 | |
| Paternoster, Sasha | 59.1% | 137 | 81 | 56 | |
| Waters, Carla L | 46.6% | 264 | 123 | 141 | |
| Alegre, Dante M. | 31.2% | 253 | 79 | 174 |