Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_05-cv-00999/USCOURTS-casd-3_05-cv-00999-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 863
Nature of Suit: Social Security - DIWC/DIWW (405(g))
Cause of Action: 42:405 Review of HHS Decision (DIWC)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MAXINE E. ARMSTRONG,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 05 CV 0999 JM (JMA)

ORDER DENYING WITHOUT

PREJUDICE MOTION FOR

ATTORNEYS’ FEES PURSUANT

TO 42 U.S.C. § 406(B)

vs.

MICHAEL J. ASTRUE,

Defendant.

This is an action for judicial review of the final administrative decision of the Commissioner

of Social Security denying Plaintiff a period of Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental

Security Income Benefits under Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § § 416,

423. On January 11, 2006, the court issued an order denying Plaintiff’s motion for summary

judgment, denying Defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment, and remanding the case to the

Social Security Administration for further findings. After remand, the court granted the parties’ joint

motion (labeled a stipulation) awarding Plaintiff’s counsel, Thomas G. Roche, $4,000.00 in attorneys’

fees pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). (Doc. no. 15 (Mar.

20, 2006).) Plaintiff now moves for attorneys’ fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b).

An award of fees under § 406(b) must be reasonable. See 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1)(A) (“the court

may determine and allow as part of its judgment a reasonable fee for such representation, not in excess

of 25 percent of the total of the past-due benefits”); Gisbrecht v. Barnhart, 535 U.S. 789 (2002).

Plaintiff has failed to make a sufficient showing of reasonableness because her motion lacks proper

Case 3:05-cv-00999-JM-JMA Document 20 Filed 04/08/08 Page 1 of 2
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documentation and support. For example, her attorney failed to file a declaration, affidavit, or other

admissible evidence supporting his assertion that he spent 28.64 hours on the case. See Gisbrecht, 535

U.S. at 808 (court may require record of hours spent representing claimant and statement of normal

hourly billing rate for non-contingent fee cases). The motion contains numerous other unsupported

or insufficiently-supported assertions, including the claim that $13,220.50 represents 25 percent of

past-due benefits she received at some unknown point after remand.

Accordingly, the court DENIES the motion without prejudice to a future showing of

reasonableness in a properly-supported and -documented motion for attorneys’ fees under § 406(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: April 8, 2008

 Hon. Jeffrey T. Miller

 United States District Judge

Case 3:05-cv-00999-JM-JMA Document 20 Filed 04/08/08 Page 2 of 2