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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
SANTA BARBARA
Avg processing
294days
+28 vs national
Processing time
294
9.8 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,005
FY receipts
942
FY dispositions
617
Active judges
6
Video hearings
2%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
74.4%
+16.6 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.53
Growing
Rank
#140
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
47%
91%
0%Median 67.5%100%
At SANTA BARBARA, approval rates range from 46.6% (Koltys, Henry) to 91.2% (Masterson, Aubri G) — a 45-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 (67.5%), not the best case.
Judges at SANTA BARBARA (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masterson, Aubri G | 91.2% | 228 | 208 | 20 | |
| Thompson, Michelle | 86.6% | 328 | 284 | 44 | |
| Suing, Timothy | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| Winkelman, Roger E | 67.5% | 77 | 52 | 25 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | 58.8% | 51 | 30 | 21 | |
| Koltys, Henry | 46.6% | 238 | 111 | 127 |