Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's approval rate requires looking at the broader context of their career. Judge Martin has presided over 23,351 lifetime decisions, providing a substantial data set for analysis. Her latest approval rate of 64% sits above the national average of 58% and the state average of 59%, though it remains 8 points below the current Sacramento office average. These figures reflect historical trends rather than future outcomes.
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 Martin'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
Over her 10 years on the bench, Judge Martin has seen her approval rates fluctuate. After a period of lower approval rates between 2020 and 2021, her decisions trended higher, reaching 67% in 2024 before settling at 64% in the most recent reporting period. This shift reflects a change in case management or the types of evidence presented in her courtroom, moving away from her earlier, more conservative approval patterns.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Martin'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 Martin? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Sacramento hearing office
The Sacramento Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Northern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a consistent pace to address the backlog of pending hearings. You can expect a formal environment where medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. You can see the Sacramento 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. Within the Sacramento Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 57% to 75%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of who presides. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Sacramento Hearing Office page.
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.