Richard ThrasherOdar Office, Administrative Law Judge
For the 2012 *fiscal year, Judge Richard Thrasher has disposed 45 cases at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. Out of those 45 dispostions, 6 were dismissed, 26 were approved and 13 were denied. This means that the percentage of depositions that Judge Richard Thrasher has approved in MINNEAPOLIS for the 2012 fiscal year is 21%. The information below for Judge Richard Thrasher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2012 | 45 | 39 | 13 | 26 | 13% | 58% | 29% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2015 | 293 | 241 | 111 | 130 | 18% | 44% | 38% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2014 | 510 | 439 | 231 | 208 | 14% | 41% | 45% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2013 | 501 | 427 | 218 | 209 | 15% | 42% | 44% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2016 | 257 | 198 | 86 | 112 | 23% | 44% | 33% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2017 | 240 | 199 | 83 | 116 | 17% | 48% | 35% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2018 | 86 | 64 | 23 | 41 | 26% | 48% | 27% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2019 | 174 | 139 | 42 | 97 | 20% | 56% | 24% |
| MINNEAPOLIS | 2020 | 106 | 84 | 39 | 45 | 21% | 42% | 37% |
AVERAGE TIME
| Dismissed | Approved | Denied | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Thrasher | No Stats for FY2020 | ||
| All ALJs in MINNEAPOLIS | 18% | 41% | 41% |
| All ALJs in MINNESOTA | 18% | 41% | 41% |
| All ALJs in the Nation | 18% | 45% | 38% |
4 Comments
First I do understand how a judge’s job would be very difficult but I do not always believe them to be fair. Some are, some not so much. They are human and can be bent by feelings rather than facts. They can be guilty of jumping to conclusions despite their training and education.
I had a Judge named Thrasher. He and their attorney Peter Johnson ignored evidence that someone had misused my SSN/DOB/name and that was part of why I was dealing with him in the first place. thewy even ignored the neurology diagnosis of TBI. I had been accused of fraud which had nothing to do with me but had to do with misuse of my information, which I told him in person (I had a completely useless lawyer named Paul Onkka -total joke washed up junkie). I even backed my claim up with a few verifiable reports (police and so forth). Basically I was on my own with a head injury trying to fight this legal system (impossible task in my shoes –very unfair). The system failed me clearly. I should have been absolved of any wrong doing and reinstated immediately.
This judge made a deliberate choice to explain away the evidence I provided and still called me guilty of the assumptions. He took cracks at my character which I though was uncalled for, as well as untrue. I could prove his statements untrue. It took less than 4 months to get a hearing that allowed them to charge me 18K and take away my benefits and basically place my life into ruins. It has taken me more than 5 years to get anything back and I still haven’t had face time with a Judge. I will never get everything back. I now have damage to deal with for life based on the assumptions that were never true. Real justice would allow me to sue over it. These people handled it badly and did so with some degree of malice, IMO. Intent might be more clear with all the facts out to be seen. I am now involved with a more reputable attorney.
Second, I recall him making some off-the-cuff remark about my issues being depression and seizures. I had a vocorder for memory because of the TBI during my ‘court session’. Well I never lied to anyone, I assume I was mis-diagnosed with depression based upon similar symptoms Asperger’s can be mistaken as depression (blunt affect, lack of typical interest in social shit). The other issue I can’t fake seizures, the EEG says they are there in REM sleep, to assume I am lying about a head injury because it isn’t listed as the original reason I was approve decades ago is a bit questionable. To accuse me of any wrong doing on the records in your files is really outrageous since I have no input into what medical records you collect or what providers have placed there. My hands never touched any of that as is the way you do business. But I am assumed at fault somehow?!
For the record, normal people who do not have brain damages –generally do not suffer seizures, so such an assertion is asinine. If people have seizures they obviously have damage and any fool would know that. No medical degree is needed to figure that out. Yes maybe the reasons I should have been approved should have been listed as TBI or OBD but I had no part in how those issues were documented medically nor how the original Judge wrote this up. I certainly haven’t lied/malingered or any other disreputable act that I have been accused of. Regardless, I still have a TBI and the seizures are part of that issue. Because they happen in sleep cycle I am not going to remember anything about them and that is common sense! To accuse me of lying over such crap is again questionable. Still happen to be disabled regardless of your assumptions. How I can be blamed and held to standards for any of thee above…. is absurd and very questionable from a legal standpoint.
So to drill this down YOU DID A HALF-ASS JOB for JUDGE (especially one with so many years experience) and I consider you very dishonest in your tactics. Yes, you saw facts but you assigned them value rather than asking me for relevant background on things that were not clear. There are days I wish my brain were more consistent because I feel I could have done your job better than you did and given your yearly salary– I could have done your job cheaper too. I still question the tactics taken in my case by the SSA. Ridiculous! You dishonor the agency you work for with your shoddy work ethics. Shame on YOU.
I waited nearly 2-1/2 years before getting a hearing before Judge Thrasher. In the meantime, I had had numerous rounds of physical therapy; back and hip injections; two back surgeries with another pending; and two hip surgeries, the second of which was a total replacement. Not enough time was scheduled for the first hearing, so it was delayed another four months. Information he requested was submitted within 10 days of the first hearing, and I faxed a letter that the information had been submitted, requesting a final hearing date. Less than three weeks later, I received a letter threatening a decision since the information had no been received — clearly, my letter had not even been read. I was told I could not get another hearing until February, so I responded saying, fine, then go ahead and make the threatened decision so we can move on. That was denied, and a hearing was scheduled for December. At the end of that hearing, he said that he found the initial findings of non-disability were incorrect; but that he would not issue a decision that day. Three months later, with another surgery pending in a few weeks and the very real possibility of losing my apartment (relayed in another letter to the judge), he has yet to write a decision. He is aware I was essentially orphaned before the age of 5 and grew up in foster care and lack a safety net; yet he still fails to act. Perhaps he will finally make a decision after I become homeless and am unreachable.
I disagree he assumes to much and if there is doubt he will hold it against you with his version of why he assumes something negative. For example: A client with a roommate are in an ACP program…he assumed they are enrolled to avoid creditors and possibly to hide from the law. Rather than accepting that programs such as this encourage all parties in the shared household to enlist proactively. This client before SSA ruined his life had a 798 FICO score….hardly the type of person who would have to hide from creditors. The client also had no legal issues to fear other than the assumptions of the SSA.
He also assumes that SSA will have current up-to-date medical information on-file regarding disability issues when a client has been approved for over 15 years and health issues change and there would be no need to have ongoing medical information on-file after a person has won their disability. So if a concern is not in the file than it is assumed the client is lying about their health (not truly disabled per the Judges assumptions). So say the client has a head injury and that causes seizures which is common. But the head injury is not the reason his disability was approved….than the Judge assumes you are lying because head injury was not listed as the reason for disability being granted?! Oh and how about this…a person who has been a victim of ID theft and fraud…they legally change their name in sealed court but the fact that they have had more than one name makes them a dishonest person…rather than figuring out why they have legally changed their name. These are but a few examples of how this judge screws up ….
This Judge is the king of cherry picking facts to fit his case and explaining away any exoneration of contrary evidence as not good enough. Sometimes facts can be used to fit a scenario but they are not telling of the whole truth. Facts can often be molded to fit assumptions. But he can chose to interpret them as he desires because he wears a robe.
How about a person with a substantial TBI….often they do not have the ability to recall information or to do so accurately but if you tell this judge anything and it happens to be incorrect than that makes you not credible and a liar (even when non intentional). Often people with moderate head injury will fill in the facts without knowing that things are not completely factual or in order. That is not intentional dishonest but you will never get this judge to agree with that. With TBI a person may not be aware that their version of something isn’t in line with other peoples estimate of events.
ALJ RICHARD THRASHER was fair, thorough, & very professional. Make sure you have all your medical records up to date & complete. He rules his courtroom w/ a kindness but don’t be fooled, he’s very astute and perceptive, so remember to come w/ your A-game, meaning be very honest, detailed in your description of your disibility & forthright. ALJ R. THRASHER is a good JUDGE because I believe he cares about those of us who are really disabled.