Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides a clearer picture of the local hearing environment. While the national average approval rate sits at 58%, Judge Misenti maintains a lifetime rate of 30% based on 21,152 decisions. These figures help you understand the statistical landscape of your hearing, though they remain distinct from the specific facts of your claim. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes 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 Misenti'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 his 10 years on the bench, Judge Misenti has seen his approval rate fluctuate, moving from 38% in 2016 to 30% in 2025. While his latest approval rate of 28% is below the office average of 44%, the data reflects his consistent approach to case evaluation. These patterns help you understand his historical tendencies, though every case is evaluated on its own merits.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Misenti'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 Misenti? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Stockton hearing office
The Stockton Hearing Office serves a large population in California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that reflects the diverse nature of the cases heard in this region. You can expect a rigorous review process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Stockton Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Stockton office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 30% to 83%. This variance highlights why preparation is essential regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing. You can review the Stockton Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.