Who decides cases at this office
The five judges at this office show a moderate spread in their allowance rates, which range from 52% to 78% with a median of 68%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each weighs evidence differently. This variation means your file must be strong enough to stand on its own regardless of who is presiding.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbara Dunn | 72% | 23,709 | |
| 2 | Ghermann Magana | 69% | 6,740 | |
| 3 | Lesley Troope | 69% | 15,061 | |
| 4 | Philip J. Simon | 69% | 12,395 | |
| 5 | Donna M. Montano | 69% | 11,970 | |
| 6 | John D. Moreen | 66% | 2,600 | |
| 7 | Ken H. Chau | 64% | 17,900 | |
| 8 | Bruce T. Cooper | 64% | 23,568 | |
| 9 | David Lacy | 54% | 7,458 | |
| 10 | James D. Goodman | 41% | 10,226 | |
| 11 | Joel B. Martinez | 36% | 1,079 |
Former & transferred judges
SSA rosters change as judges retire, transfer, or move to national assignments. These judges previously decided Social Security disability cases from this location but are not on the current roster. Their full public decision records are on their profiles.
How long you'll wait
At Pasadena, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 8 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
With an 8-month wait, you have a window to build the medical record your judge will weigh. Your hearing will likely last about an hour, where you will testify under oath and a vocational expert will analyze whether jobs exist that fit your specific physical or mental limitations. You must submit all updated medical records, medication lists with side effects, and daily-activity logs well before the evidence-submission deadline. Because this office has a 66% allowance rate, your goal is to ensure your file is complete. If you have witness statements from former coworkers or family members, include them to provide a clearer picture of your daily reality.
Even at offices like Pasadena where most hearings result in an allowance, cases that fail often share one common trait: a record that did not anticipate the vocational expert's testimony. An attorney who understands the local panel can pressure-test your evidence against the specific limitations the judge will look for.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Pasadena, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.