Arline Colon, St petersburg fl , Florida Odar Office, Administrative Law Judge
For the 2010 *fiscal year, Judge Arline Colon has disposed 433 cases at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in EVANSVILLE, INDIANA. Out of those 433 dispostions, 46 were dismissed, 134 were approved and 253 were denied. This means that the percentage of depositions that Judge Arline Colon has approved in EVANSVILLE for the 2010 fiscal year is 28%. The information below for Judge Arline Colon was last updated on 04/28/2023.
AVERAGE STATISTICS
| Office | *Fiscal Year | Total Depositions | Total Decisions | Total Denials | Total Awards | Cases Dismissed | Cases Approved | Cases Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVANSVILLE | 2010 | 433 | 387 | 253 | 134 | 11% | 31% | 58% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2010 | 67 | 54 | 22 | 32 | 19% | 48% | 33% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2012 | 592 | 402 | 270 | 132 | 32% | 22% | 46% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2015 | 441 | 337 | 215 | 122 | 24% | 28% | 49% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2014 | 515 | 406 | 303 | 103 | 21% | 20% | 59% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2013 | 608 | 421 | 275 | 146 | 31% | 24% | 45% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2011 | 503 | 414 | 239 | 175 | 18% | 35% | 48% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2016 | 411 | 287 | 192 | 95 | 30% | 23% | 47% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2017 | 413 | 278 | 171 | 107 | 33% | 26% | 41% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2018 | 157 | 111 | 70 | 41 | 29% | 26% | 45% |
| ST PETERSBURG FL | 2019 | 71 | 51 | 37 | 14 | 28% | 20% | 52% |
AVERAGE TIME
| Dismissed | Approved | Denied | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arline Colon | No Stats for FY2019 | ||
| All ALJs in EVANSVILLE | 16% | 42% | 42% |
| All ALJs in INDIANA | 15% | 45% | 40% |
| All ALJs in the Nation | 18% | 45% | 38% |
27 Comments
I have just received my “answer” to my case which I have been fighting for 8 years this April. Unfavorable! My last hearing was in December of 2009 when I was denied by her “mentor” (now retired), Phyllis Pierce. Ms. Pierce denied my claim in a mere 3 days. Judge Colon LIED about the facts of my case (just as Peirce did). Twisted the evidence set before her to suit her “decision.” And in fact, I was not even afforded a hearing this time. Just an “unfavorable” after waiting over 2 years from last “decision.” Her reasoning, no point in it as I already had one. My case (and the evidence that supports my disability) are so strong, I have won in Federal court twice. Second time the Federal judge was LIVID that the SSA did not do their jobs and ORDERED that the evidence be considered. It was not. Five doctors have all agreed that I am disabled, yet Judge Colon seems to fancy herself an expert above them all. I want to know who is policing these judges who are not doing their jobs. Playing fast and loose with people’s lives and the EVIDENCE that supports valid claims for disability benefits. She should be fired! it is just that simple! If you cannot do your job without preconceived ideas and be unbiased, you have NO business doing this at all!
She totally rocks!
I am almost 60 years old and have worked since I was 16. I finally became so disabled from serious mental impairments and life-threating physical and mental impariments…including early onset Alzheimer’s AND a terminal illness… that I finally had to stop working, use all my savings, and file for disability.
Judge Colon is a vicious pathological LIAR and outright EVIL. She denied me my benefits, based on her utter distortion of my well documented Case and her BIZARRE interpretion of Law.
As a representative who practiced in front of Judge Colon for over a year, I can only say this line
“Some of those who are taking this so personally may not have been well-served by their representatives”
is off-base. Judge Colon’s denials were poorly and dishonestly written. At many points in her Unfavorables, she quoted half a sentence, out of context, while deliberately ignoring other evidence. In one denial, she claimed my client was not credible because she has filed for disability three times. Of course, the record showed those three times were 1997, 1999, and 2008, with almost a decade of work after the second.
Of the six denials I received from Judge Colon, Federal judges over-turned five of those decisions. The problem is with Arline, who is an embarrassment to SSA, and not with the representatives who practice in front of her
I think it is more sad that someone believes an ALJ can’t show bias in spite of her giving fake smiles or not yelling. I think most people could really careless whether an AlJ will play nice to get you to talk and then deny you or just go by the book. However, if an ALJ is only paying 23% of the cases he or she is adjudicating then they are not applying the law. Yes, the grids are beneficial for people over 50 but that does not mean people under 50 aren’t disabled. Further, each case should be reviewed on an individual basis and if she is not paying people are under 50 strictly because of age then she is bias, no matter how nice she is to you.
It is disappointing to read the wildly uncharitable comments made below about Judge Colon. In my experience, she is an extremely knowledgeable and hard-working person who seeks to apply the facts to the law in an unbiased fashion.
I understand that people are going to be quite naturally displeased when they do not get what they want. Some of those who are taking this so personally may not have been well-served by their representatives, who should have explained to them that just because you know in your heart with all sincerity that you have a certain problem does not always mean that you have presented sufficient evidence to prove it.
Everyone loves the judges who unscrupulously give away the store to nearly every claimant, whether it is justified or not. However, that is the easy way out. All of the incentives in this system go in this direction. Judges who do not give in to this relentless pressure do so because they feel an obligation to call “balls and strikes” as they see them, knowing full well that at least one side very often wont like the call.
Judge Colon may adjudicate cases conservatively, but she shows no signs of the bias she is unfairly accused of here. Does she berate the claimants, make sharp comments toward them or abuse them in any way? Does she behave at all in an unpleasant way toward them? Anyone who has dealt with her can tell you that she does no such thing.
I might not agree with her every decision, but I know she is calling them as she sincerely sees them and without an ounce of malice or bias against anyone. As for the alleged bias against younger claimants, that’s not Judge Colon, that’s the way the rules are written. The “grids” heavily favor older claimants.
Finally, to the rep who suggested that you are better off the more evidentiary support you have for the claim: Well, yes, that is the way this is supposed to work. This just proves my point. The better your evidence is, the better your chances are. I would be far more concerned about a judge for whom this was not the case.
We were told by our attorneys prior to the hearing for my aunt to hope that the assigned judge wouldn’t be Arline Colon due to her reputation for fixating on any scraps of testimony to hang the “denied” hat on. Unfortunately bad luck came our way and my aunt got her. Not surprisingly, her subsequent verdict was to deny any benefits despite doctor statements supporting such. Quite the android. Perhaps justice will be served if Colon suffers the misfortune of a genuine injury and goes before a judge like herself who thinks she’s faking it. Maybe she’ll also get to endure the ignominious recommendation to become a file clerk (even though she can’t sit in one place for more than 10 minutes).
She is very nice, but will NOT approve anyone that is under 50 with NO mental impairments. She seems to have ZERO sympathy for physical impairments. Claimants with obvious physical issues do nothing for her. If they aren’t crazy, she will deny with a pretty smile!
She’s evil. She may appear nice during the hearing, but don’t be fooled: when your decision comes out and it’s unfavorable- it’s character assasination. She doesn’t like young people, she doesn’t like overweight folks. Even older people who served our country who walk with walkers can sometimes not get granted. A LOT of her unfavorable decisions are being upheld at AC and going to Federal Court, so she’s probably not getting enough remands to know what she’s doing wrong. She also dismisses a lot- and unfortunately, her dismissals are usually appropriate. But again- evil. Wish I could give you better advice on how to win a claim with her, but I only know for sure what she won’t pay (above) and I can’t figure out what she WILL pay (ex: she paid an younger individual, SSI only, smoker, with back/heart problems, on oxygen- not compassionate claimant at all- fully expected denial). I think the more support you have (RFCs AND narrative reports) the better you are.
Very unfair judge! Don’t expect even a “slightly fair” hearing, even if you have multiple long-term, progressive/degenerative conditions. She does not consider numerous obvious & pertinent FACTS, which are provided to her…clearly and detailed, in black & white. Her main focus is a person’s age and whether or not they have been able to work while going through the SSDI process. She DOES NOT take into consideration that some people push themselves way beyond their mental & physical limits, to the point of having NO personal life whatsoever due to severe chronic pain and major depression, just so they can keep a roof over their head and not end up on the streets. People like Judge Colon should NOT be employed by S.S.D., where they are required to make “FAIR” decisions for the U.S. Government. She gives the entire process and that division of the government a VERY bad name.