Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same timeframes to ensure accuracy. While your judge's overall rate on record since 2023 is 49%, his latest-period approval rate is 47%. This latest figure sits 8 percentage points below the Evansville office's latest-period rate of 55%. These comparisons rely on a volume of 1,324 decisions on record since 2023.
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 Johns'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
The approval rate for Marcus Johns has shifted since 2023. After a 45% approval rate in 2023, the rate was 52% in 2024, 50% in 2025, and 47% in 2026. These 1,324 decisions on record since 2023 indicate a trend that has remained consistent across your judge's recent docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johns'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.
About the Evansville hearing office
The Evansville hearing office serves you and other claimants in the region. With 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 55%. You can expect a formal administrative process where evidence quality is the primary factor in your outcome.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Evansville
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is the Evansville office, and 6 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 49% to 57% on their records.
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
Marcus Johns has an approval rate of 49% on his record since 2023. This falls within the 49% to 57% range observed among the 7 judges whose most recent office on record is the Evansville office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
The approval rate for Marcus Johns has moved from 45% in 2023 to 47% in the latest partial 2026 period. These variations are common and often reflect changes in the types of cases heard. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on building a strong case with the help of an attorney.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a prediction of your hearing outcome. While Marcus Johns has a 49% approval rate on record since 2023, your result depends on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you prepare your case to ensure you are fully ready for your hearing.
