Christa Zamora, Valparaiso in , Indiana Odar Office, Administrative Law Judge
For the 2014 *fiscal year, Judge Christa Zamora has disposed 91 cases at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in PHOENIX, ARIZONA. Out of those 91 dispostions, 27 were dismissed, 17 were approved and 47 were denied. This means that the percentage of depositions that Judge Christa Zamora has approved in PHOENIX for the 2014 fiscal year is 9%. The information below for Judge Christa Zamora 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHOENIX | 2015 | 506 | 404 | 267 | 137 | 20% | 27% | 53% |
| PHOENIX | 2014 | 91 | 64 | 47 | 17 | 30% | 19% | 52% |
| VALPARAISO IN | 2014 | 158 | 144 | 87 | 57 | 9% | 36% | 55% |
| PHOENIX | 2016 | 410 | 340 | 185 | 155 | 17% | 38% | 45% |
| PHOENIX | 2017 | 428 | 353 | 177 | 176 | 18% | 41% | 41% |
| PHOENIX | 2018 | 183 | 146 | 65 | 81 | 20% | 44% | 36% |
| PHOENIX | 2019 | 57 | 52 | 34 | 18 | 9% | 32% | 60% |
AVERAGE TIME
| Dismissed | Approved | Denied | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christa Zamora | No Stats for FY2019 | ||
| All ALJs in PHOENIX | 16% | 44% | 40% |
| All ALJs in ARIZONA | 17% | 47% | 35% |
| All ALJs in the Nation | 18% | 45% | 38% |
8 Comments
I have worked with Judge Zamora for many years. She is conscientious and takes her job seriously. She reviews evidence, not just sentiment, as it should be. These judges hear hundreds of cases per year and I have every confidence that Judge Zamora reviews the evidence, is prepared, and makes a determination based on the information presented to her. She is a professional and should be treated as such. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for her.
This judge allowed the VE to practically sleep in his chair. He yawned loudly throughout my hearing and then started ripping open cardboard mail envelopes…. I had some notes I had brought and when asked a question I referred to them and when I hesitated to get my thoughts together, I was asked if I wanted to submit these notes. I was already in an anxiety attack and didn’t know what to do. I never answered her question – the lawyer took my notes and the hearing moved on. I was in tears trembling from anxiety and it didn’t matter, she was done. Yes, my lawyer sucked but to have severe anxiety, be agrophobic and in a room with 3 people I don’t know being very rude (VE) I just broke. It was also perfect timing to receive my denial on christmas eve.
I am 5/5 weigh 135, have dx ra, fibro, severe anxiety and the top job suggestion on my denial was a Bouncer. The next a house supervior. She also did not look at any of my current doctor’s notes – or did and just didn’t believe them or ignored them. I don’t know what I’ll do.
She may be nice, but her goal is to deny.
My ALJ TOLD me 30-60 days and I will know if I was approved or denied but I dont know.if i should count weekends or not what’s everyones thought?
I find it suspicious that every time a negative post is made about this judge there is a sweet and flowery rebuttal saying how fair she is. The facts percentages speak for themselves. Her low percentage of approval speaks to the truth. I wouldn’t be surprised if the only good comments on here are from the judge herself. Definitely a nice but unfair judge!
I regularly appear before this judge – i think she is fair and courteous – she let me present my client’s case thoroughly. Unlike the post on 4/5/14, her demeanor shows that she’s been a judge for a while – she controls her hearing room well. I thought she had a good grasp of my clients’ medical records and the law. You’ll get a fair hearing with her.
Judge Zamora was very nice and polite. She was very respectful to all in the court room. That being said, I do not feel she is a very good judge. The reasons she stated for denying me have me completely shocked. She only used parts of my medical history, and only took parts of my testimony from the hearing. The first time I was denied before the hearing, SS said that after I went to their own doctors, I could no longer do my old job because of my pain and limitations. But because I was too young according to them, I could find something else to do. After going to the hearing, Judge Zamora says I can do my past work and had the nerve to suggest that although she could not prove it, she thinks I FORCED my doctor to fill out my RFC report to say I was disabled. She would not use any of his medical records or opinions, nor the doctors that SS sent me to. She listed a denial because I missed one of my doctor appointments due to a lapse in my insurance. She also denied me because I have 3 children I take care of. I told her at the hearing that all my children take care of themselves and help take care of me! Two of them in college and one in highschool! UNBELIEVABLE! The vocational expert said there were no jobs I could do with my RFC or do my past work at the hearing and she said in the denial letter that he said I could do my past work. The list of reasons for the denial went on and on! She asked if I cook. I told her yes, but only sometimes and when I do it takes a very long time and I have to take breaks in between and have help. She denied me because she said I do chores. Like I said, she was very nice at the hearing, but she doesn’t know how to be an ALJ!
I felt that I needed to respond to the post dated 3/31/14 regarding Judge Zamora. I felt that she was very fair at my hearing. She asked questions and listened to my responses. She was polite and professional. When I received her decision in the mail it was obvious she was very thorough. She referenced the various “exhibits” (documents) that had been submitted so she had taken the time to review all of the information pertaining to my case. We may not always agree with the decisions the judges make. All we can ask is that they take the time to look at everything that is presented and make an informed decision. I believe Judge Zamora did exactly that. At the conclusion of my hearing Judge Zamora said I would receive her decision within 60 days. I received the Notice of Decision in less than a month.
This judge is a complete airhead!!! She does not know this area of law very well at all. She is a new judge who clearly does not get it. It is clear her goal is to deny as many people as she can without knowing the facts. She does not know how to way medical opinions and she fails to even utilize evidence that demonstrates disability from the State’s own doctors. I feel sorry for all disabled Americans stuck with this person as a judge!