Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Pelton is based on 6,320 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge maintained a 44% approval rate, which is 8 percentage points lower than the Syracuse office average and 10 points below the national average. These figures provide context for your upcoming hearing, though they do not predict your specific outcome.
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 Pelton'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Pelton has seen fluctuations in approval trends. After an approval rate of 49% in 2023 and 52% in 2024, the most recent data shows a rate of 42% in 2025. These shifts reflect the evolving nature of the docket and the specific cases assigned to the judge.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pelton'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 Pelton? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Syracuse hearing office
The Syracuse Hearing Office serves a large population across New York. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 56% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a formal environment where medical documentation and vocational testimony are the primary drivers of a favorable decision. You can visit the Syracuse 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Syracuse office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 43% to 60%. While your assigned judge has a unique history, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across the office.
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.