Approval rates
Judge Messina's approval rate is measured against both local and national benchmarks to provide context for your hearing. In the latest reporting period, his approval rate reached 82%, which is 11 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 14,656 lifetime decisions, providing a robust sample size for analysis. 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 Messina'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 a decade on the bench, Judge Messina has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. While your yearly approval rates have fluctuated between 60% and 75% throughout his career, the recent data shows a strong performance in the latest period. This trend suggests a judge who remains thorough in his review of medical evidence. The current pattern reflects a continuation of his established decision-making style, which has remained relatively steady since he began his tenure in 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Messina'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 Messina? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the St Petersburg Fl Oho hearing office
The St Petersburg FL OHO serves a large population of claimants across Florida, managing a high volume of disability hearings. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of cases, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability claims. The office-wide latest approval rate currently stands at 63%, providing a baseline for the local hearing environment. You can see the St Petersburg FL OHO 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the St Petersburg FL OHO, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 38% to 69%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a vital part of your preparation. The office's range of approval rates provides a broad view of the local hearing environment.
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.