Donald R Colpitts, Las vegas , Nevada Odar Office, Administrative Law Judge
For the 2010 *fiscal year, Judge Donald R Colpitts has disposed 529 cases at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in HONOLULU, HAWAII. Out of those 529 dispostions, 73 were dismissed, 413 were approved and 43 were denied. This means that the percentage of depositions that Judge Donald R Colpitts has approved in HONOLULU for the 2010 fiscal year is 15%. The information below for Judge Donald R Colpitts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAS VEGAS | 2010 | 529 | 456 | 43 | 413 | 14% | 78% | 8% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2012 | 464 | 367 | 92 | 275 | 21% | 59% | 20% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2015 | 466 | 387 | 112 | 275 | 17% | 59% | 24% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2014 | 503 | 400 | 121 | 279 | 20% | 55% | 24% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2013 | 409 | 338 | 118 | 220 | 17% | 54% | 29% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2011 | 519 | 430 | 72 | 358 | 17% | 69% | 14% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2016 | 343 | 268 | 64 | 204 | 22% | 59% | 19% |
| HONOLULU | 2017 | 28 | 23 | 2 | 21 | 18% | 75% | 7% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2017 | 249 | 188 | 39 | 149 | 24% | 60% | 16% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2018 | 151 | 124 | 21 | 103 | 18% | 68% | 14% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2019 | 229 | 183 | 45 | 138 | 20% | 60% | 20% |
| LAS VEGAS | 2020 | 159 | 135 | 19 | 116 | 15% | 73% | 12% |
AVERAGE TIME
| Dismissed | Approved | Denied | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald R Colpitts | No Stats for FY2020 | ||
| All ALJs in HONOLULU | 19% | 55% | 26% |
| All ALJs in HAWAII | 19% | 55% | 26% |
| All ALJs in the Nation | 18% | 45% | 38% |
7 Comments
He is a great ALJ, listened carefully, asked pertinent questions, and approved me fully favorable. SSA needs more ALJ’s like him.
Judge Colpitts heard my case about 7 years ago. I never realized I could comment until today. I can not express my gratitude to him enough for being able to see that I was telling the truth, and he judged in my favor. I was very sick with West Nile Virus, and massive tumor threatening my life. I was so sick I couldn’t get out of bed for many months and living in a 10×12 garden shed as my shelter, it was 2009 and I had lost EVERYTHING, other than my shed my car and a piece of land in the middle of the desert, with 6 pets alone……all documented. I have not been able to pull myself back even to this day all my pets other than my parrot who is now 20 have died. The SSA were relentless in my case and wouldn’t give up. I was very fortunate to have survived and I will never forget his kindness and sensitivity to me in such a stressful ridiculous situation, that never should have been questioned in the first place. I will always love Judge Colpitts very much.
I am an attorney who regularly has hearings in 8-10 different ODARS. Over the years, I have also had hearings across the country from Key West to Anchorage; Kauai to Norfolk. I’ve seen a LOT of judges. Judge Colpits is one of the top 5 ALJs in the country. If you are reading this because you just received your Notice of Hearing and learned that Colpits has been assigned to your case, then you have been blessed. Not because of his approval rate, but because he actually follows the law. Instead of having his own “gut-check” definition of who is disabled, he actually applies the law and regulations in the spirit that they were written. I would not call him “pro-claimant”. He is simply not anti-claimant; he does not start from a presumption of denial; and he is not typically adversarial. (I’ve only seen him get snarky when he knew someone was lying to him.) It’s a horrible comment on the state of affairs with SSA’s ALJs, but the biggest compliment I can give Judge Colpits is that he does his job the way that it is supposed to be done. The fact that he is also cordial, professional, respectful, and even compassionate at times is just a bonus.
Chit-chat note: I believe he flew an F-4 in Vietnam. (USAF, I think. Could have been Navy, though.) He once surprised me in the middle of a hearing by switching to Vietnamese for a minute or two when talking to my client who immigrated when she was younger.
Judge Colpitts is an excellent Judge! He heard my case, read through my documentation, listened to my Advocate and came to a very sound conclusion. My Advocate and I were at ease with Judge Colpitts. He assured Us that everything would be alright. He is a great judge and compassionate.
He is smart and competent. A friendly guy, but make no mistake he is nobody’s fool. Don’t think you can saunter in with no evidence and a sad story. Be prepared.
This judge made my family member at ease and even joked with them. Efficent and very friendly. That being said, doesn’t mean he will approve ur case. Evidence is crucial as well as the hearing….
One of the best judges in the nation. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and runs hearings with thoroughness, efficiency, and compassion. Jokes with attorneys off the record. Very good at putting everyone (clients and attorneys) at ease.