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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PHOENIX NORTH
Region 09Rank #158 of 160
Avg processing
352days
+88 vs national
Processing time
352
11.7 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,155
FY receipts
572
FY dispositions
767
Active judges
6
Video hearings
42%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
60.7%
+2.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.75
Shrinking
Rank
#158
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
34%
76%
0%Median 53.7%100%
At PHOENIX NORTH, approval rates range from 34.4% (Bucci, Patricia A) to 75.9% (Armbruster, Ted) — a 42-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 (53.7%), not the best case.
Judges at PHOENIX NORTH (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suing, Timothy | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| Armbruster, Ted | 75.9% | 257 | 195 | 62 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | 58.0% | 50 | 29 | 21 | |
| Businger, Thomas | 53.7% | 67 | 36 | 31 | |
| Walls, Kelly | 50.3% | 189 | 95 | 94 | |
| Bucci, Patricia A | 34.4% | 64 | 22 | 42 |