Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01085/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01085-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 864
Nature of Suit: Social Security - SSID Title XVI
Cause of Action: 42:402 Social Security Benefits

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JONATHAN O. PENA, ESQ. 

CA Bar ID No. 278044

Peña & Bromberg, PLC

2440 Tulare St., Suite 320

Fresno, CA 93721

Telephone: 559-412-5390

Fax: 866-282-6709

info@jonathanpena.com

Attorney for Plaintiff

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Isaiah Smith,

Plaintiff,

vs.

ANDREW SAUL,

Commissioner of Social Security,

Defendant.

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Case No. 1:19-cv-01085-SKO

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR 

EXTENSION OF TIME

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, by and between the parties through their respective 

counsel of record, with the Court’s approval, that Plaintiff shall have a 30-day extension of time, 

from 04/17/2020 to 05/17/2020, for Plaintiff to serve on defendant with PLAINTIFF’S 

OPENING BRIEF. All other dates in the Court’s Scheduling Order shall be extended 

accordingly.

This is Plaintiff’s second request for an extension of time. Good cause exists for this 

request. The week of 04/05/2020, Plaintiff’s Counsel had 17 administrative hearings, seven

hearing preparation appointments with claimants, four letter briefs, two reply briefs and four 

opening briefs due. The week of 04/12/2020, Plaintiff’s Counsel had 17 administrative hearings, 

12 hearing preparation appointments with claimants, one reply brief and 2 opening briefs due.. 

Each of the administrative hearings also requires administrative hearing briefs with a full summary 

of the medical records and legal arguments.

Case 1:19-cv-01085-SKO Document 16 Filed 04/20/20 Page 1 of 3
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Additionally, due to the ongoing pandemic with COVID-19 and the various executive 

orders throughout Fresno County and now the State of California, along with the recommendations 

for Social Distancing, Plaintiff’s Counsel is operating with very limited staff. The Office of 

Hearings Operations is still conducting telephonic hearings. As it is required to continue the 

normal day-to-day tasks involved in developing cases and the requirements of the five-day rule 

related to submission of evidence to the Administrative Law Judge which is imposed under 20 

CFR § 404.935, Counsel must still continue normal operations but with a significantly reduced 

level of support. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, Counsel’s office made arrangements to manage the case 

load with fewer staff in the office. However, given the ongoing health and safety measures 

recommended by the CDC and the number of weeks this has gone on, Counsel is experiencing 

extraordinary delays and backlogs with both the administrative and civil court work. As a result, 

Plaintiff’s Counsel requires additional time to brief this matter. 

Defendant does not oppose the requested extension. Counsel apologizes to the Defendant 

and Court for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Dated: April 17, 2020 PENA & BROMBERG, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

By: /s/ Jonathan Omar Pena

JONATHAN OMAR PENA

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

Dated: April 17, 2020 MCGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

DEBORAH LEE STACHEL

Regional Chief Counsel, Region IX

Social Security Administration

By: */s/ Daniel P. Talbert

Daniel P. Talbert

Case 1:19-cv-01085-SKO Document 16 Filed 04/20/20 Page 2 of 3
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Special Assistant United States Attorney

Attorneys for Defendant

(*As authorized by email on 04/17/2020)

ORDER

Pursuant to the parties’ above stipulation, (Doc. 15), Plaintiff shall file and serve his 

opening brief by no later than May 17, 2020. All other deadlines in the scheduling order are 

modified accordingly. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 17, 2020 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto .

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:19-cv-01085-SKO Document 16 Filed 04/20/20 Page 3 of 3