(SS) Hernandez v. Commissioner of Social Security
(SS) Hernandez v. Commissioner of Social Security
Trial Court Opinion
PHILLIP A. TALBERT 1 United States Attorney 2 MATHEW W. PILE, WSBN 32245 Associate General Counsel 3 Office of Program Litigation, Office 7 Social Security Administration 4 ELLINOR CODER, CA 258258 5 Special Assistant United States Attorney 6401 Security Boulevard 6 Baltimore, Maryland 21235 Telephone: (510) 970-4814 7 E-Mail: [email protected] 8 Attorneys for Defendant 9 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 10 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 11 ) Case No.: 1:22-cv-00859-SKO 12 JUANITA ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ, ) ) STIPULATION AND UNOPPOSED 13 Plaintiff, ) MOTION FOR THE AWARD AND ) PAYMENT OF ATTORNEY FEES AND 14 vs. ) EXPENSES PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL KILOLO KIJAKAZI, ) ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT, 28 U.S.C. 15 Acting Commissioner of Social Security, ) § 2412(d), AND COSTS PURSUANT TO 28 ) U.S.C. § 1920; ORDER 16 ) Defendant. ) (Doc. 23) 17 ) 18 19 IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the parties through their undersigned 20 counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that Plaintiff be awarded attorney fees and 21 expenses in the amount $6,249.63 (SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FORTY-NINE dollars 22 and SIXTY-THREE cents) under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA),
28 U.S.C. § 2412(d), 23 and no costs under
28 U.S.C. § 1920. This amount represents compensation for all legal services 24 rendered on behalf of Plaintiff by counsel in connection with this civil action, in accordance with 25
28 U.S.C. §§ 1920; 2412(d). 26 After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Plaintiff, the government will consider 27 the matter of Plaintiff’s assignment of EAJA fees to counsel, if any. Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 28
560 U.S. 586, 598,
130 S.Ct. 2521,
177 L.Ed.2d 91(2010), the ability to honor any assignment 1 will depend on whether the fees are subject to any offset allowed under the United States 2 Department of the Treasury’s Offset Program. After the order for EAJA fees is entered, the 3 government will determine whether they are subject to any offset. 4 Fees shall be made payable to Plaintiff, but if the Department of the Treasury determines 5 that Plaintiff does not owe a federal debt, then the government shall cause the payment of fees, 6 expenses and costs to be made directly to counsel, pursuant to the assignment executed by 7 Plaintiff. Any payments made shall be delivered to Counsel. 8 This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Plaintiff’s request for EAJA 9 attorney fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Defendant under the 10 EAJA or otherwise. Payment of the agreed amount shall constitute a complete release from, and 11 bar to, any and all claims that Plaintiff and/or counsel including counsel’s firm may have relating 12 to EAJA attorney fees or costs in connection with this action. 13 This award is without prejudice to the rights of counsel and/or counsel’s firm to seek 14 Social Security Act attorney fees under
42 U.S.C. § 406(b), subject to the savings clause 15 provisions of the EAJA. Respectfully submitted, 16 17 Date: August 9, 2023 /s/ Jonathan Pena* PLAINTIFF’S COUNSEL 18 (as authorized by email on Aug. 9, 2023) Attorney for Plaintiff 19
20 Date: August 9, 2023 PHILLIP A. TALBERT 21 United States Attorney MATHEW W. PILE 22 Associate General Counsel 23 Social Security Administration
24 /s/ Ellinor Coder 25 ELLINOR CODER Special Assistant United States Attorney 26 Social Security Administration Attorney for Defendant 27
28 1 ORDER 2 Based upon the parties’ Stipulation and Unopposed Motion for the Award and Payment of 3 Equal Access to Justice Act Fees, Costs, and Expenses (Doc. 23), IT IS ORDERED that fees and 4 expenses in the amount of $6,249.63 as authorized by
28 U.S.C. § 2412, and NO costs as 5 authorized by
28 U.S.C. § 1920, be awarded subject to the terms of the Stipulation. 6 IT IS SO ORDERED. 7
8 Dated: August 10, 2023 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto . 9 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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Reference
- Status
- Unknown