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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
ST PETERSBURG FL OHO
Region 04Rank #4 of 160
Avg processing
221days
-45 vs national
Processing time
221
7.4 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,338
FY receipts
2,295
FY dispositions
1,284
Active judges
4
Video hearings
—
Avg approval rate
63.4%
+5.7 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.79
Growing
Rank
#4
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 4 judges
51%
70%
0%Median 67.6%100%
At ST PETERSBURG FL OHO, approval rates range from 51.5% (Kafkas, Peter) to 70.0% (Messina, Christopher) — a 19-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 (67.6%), not the best case.
Judges at ST PETERSBURG FL OHO (4)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messina, Christopher | 70.0% | 40 | 28 | 12 | |
| Smith, Donald G. | 68.1% | 395 | 269 | 126 | |
| Alderisio, James P. | 67.1% | 322 | 216 | 106 | |
| Kafkas, Peter | 51.5% | 274 | 141 | 133 |