Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 9 judges at this office shows a moderate spread in allowance rates, ranging from 25% to 62% with a median of 52%. Because outcomes vary across the panel, the judge you draw can influence the tone of your hearing. While cases are assigned randomly, your best defense against this variation is a file that clearly documents your disability.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter B. Storey | 71% | 2,119 | |
| 2 | David Cornelius | 65% | 25,815 | |
| 3 | Michael L. Levinson | 62% | 3,173 | |
| 4 | Vincent Hill | 60% | 22,394 | |
| 5 | Christine A. Guard | 58% | 14,153 | |
| 6 | Stephen Thompson | 53% | 25,193 | |
| 7 | Eric S. Fulcher | 48% | 27,441 | |
| 8 | Russell W. Lewis | 48% | 11,843 | |
| 9 | Amy Uren | 42% | 13,275 | |
| 10 | George Oetter | 39% | 4,020 | |
| 11 | Cam Oetter | 39% | 19,573 | |
| 12 | Amy Uren Roberson | 38% | 6,670 | |
| 13 | Emily Y. Howard | 30% | 26,502 |
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 Macon, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 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 a 7-month wait, you have a window to ensure your medical file is complete. Your hearing will involve an ALJ and a vocational expert who will testify about whether jobs exist that fit your specific physical or mental limitations. You should submit all updated medical records, a current medication list with side effects, and a daily-activity log well before the deadline. If you have witness statements from family or coworkers, include them to support your testimony. The judge will weigh this evidence against the expert's opinion to reach a decision.
Hearings at this office move at a pace that requires your file to be ready well in advance. When a panel's allowance rates span a wide range, your file must be strong enough that it remains compelling regardless of which judge is presiding. Preparing your evidence and anticipating the vocational expert's questions are key steps in your hearing strategy.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Macon, 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.