Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Horton’s 25% lifetime approval rate is evaluated against the latest Springfield MO office average of 41% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 9,048 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of his past activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Horton's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Across his 4-year tenure, Judge Horton has shown a steady decision pattern. Starting with a 24% approval rate in 2016, his annual figures have fluctuated slightly, reaching 28% by 2019. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating evidence and medical testimony. The recent data reflects a continuation of this long-term pattern, providing a reliable baseline for understanding his judicial history.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Horton's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Horton? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Springfield MO hearing office
The Springfield MO hearing office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 41%. You can expect a formal hearing process where medical documentation and vocational testimony are central to the outcome. You can visit the Springfield MO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Springfield MO hearing office, the office's 6 ALJs range from 25% to 48% in their lifetime approval rates. Because case assignment is outside of your control, the best strategy is to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.