John Thomas Reid
Judge Reid no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Reid decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Reid follows the 10th Circuit's medical-source hierarchy strictly: a non-examining state-agency 'check-the-box' assessment, unaccompanied by a thorough narrative, is not substantial evidence and cannot outweigh examining and treating physicians without a reasoned explanation. An ALJ who gives the paper reviewer more weight than the doctors who saw the claimant, without explaining why, will be reversed. Practical lesson: before Reid, build the record on examining/treating-physician opinions and attack any ALJ reliance on bare agency-form RFCs.
“The ALJ has failed to provide a reasonable explanation for giving greater weight to an assessment by a physician who never treated or examined the plaintiff as compared to treating and examining physicians... a state agency assessment using a check-the-box evaluation form, unaccompanied by thorough written reports or persuasive testimony is not substantial evidence.”
Reid will not let an ALJ use a claimant's sparse treatment history against credibility where the record shows the claimant could not afford care. Inability to pay justifies a failure to seek treatment, and an ALJ who ignores uncontradicted no-insurance evidence commits reversible error. Practical lesson: if your client's gaps in treatment are financial, get the inability-to-pay evidence into the record -- Reid treats it as dispositive of that credibility point.
“the ALJ did not consider the evidence in this case that plaintiff lacked medical insurance to pay for medical treatment... Because of the failure of the ALJ to consider the evidence regarding plaintiff's inability to pay for medical treatment, it was error for the ALJ to rely on plaintiff's sporadic medical treatment to question her credibility.”
Procedural preferences
On the other side of the ledger, Reid affirms when the ALJ does the work: a credibility finding 'closely and affirmatively linked' to specific record facts will stand, and he applies a pragmatic reading of the Winfrey step-four duty -- an ALJ who incorporates the job-demand exhibits and VE testimony by reference 'substantially complies' even without a formalistic recitation of each job's physical and mental demands. Practical lesson: Reid is not reflexively claimant- or agency-favoring; a well-supported, specifically-linked ALJ decision is affirmed, a conclusory or mischaracterizing one is remanded.
“Because the ALJ incorporated by reference the physical and mental demands of the two jobs into his decision, the court finds that the ALJ substantially complied with the requirement that he make findings setting forth the physical and mental demands of the job.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be reversed, and that the case be remanded for further proceedings (sentence four remand) for the reasons set forth above.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that defendant's motion (Doc. 17) be granted, that the decision of the Commissioner be reversed, and that the case be remanded for further proceedings (sentence four remand) for the reasons set forth above.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the Commissioner's decision be AFFIRMED in accordance with the fourth sentence of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be affirmed.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that judgment be entered in accordance with the fourth sentence of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) AFFIRMING the Commissioner's decision.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be reversed, and that the case be remanded for further proceedings (sentence four remand) for the reasons set forth above.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be reversed, and that the case be remanded for further proceedings (sentence four remand) for the reasons set forth above.”
“IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that the decision of the Commissioner be reversed, and that the case be remanded for further proceedings (sentence four remand) for the reasons set forth above.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median case duration in the sampled dockets: 319 days (N = 1).
Reid handled Social Security referrals in the Wichita and Topeka divisions of the District of Kansas. The surviving historical civil files do not contain complete entry timelines, so the duration analysis is limited to Campbell.
A historical record
Judge Reid no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.