Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_21-cv-01008/USCOURTS-caed-1_21-cv-01008-3/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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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KAREN M. GONZALES,

Plaintiff,

v.

KILOLO KIJAKAZI, ACTING 

COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL 

SECURITY,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:21-cv-01008-ADA-HBK1

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO

GRANT PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR 

ATTORNEY FEES UNDER THE EQUAL 

ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT

FOURTEEN-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD

(Doc. No. 28)

Pending before the Court is the Plaintiff’s motion for award of attorney’s fees filed on 

November 7, 2022. (Doc. No. 28). Plaintiff’s attorney, Jonathan O. Peña, requests attorney fees 

and expenses in the amount of $7,697.04, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”), 

28 U.S.C. § 2412. (Id.). The Commissioner has not responded to Plaintiff’s motion, and the 

deadline for doing so has passed. For the reasons set forth more fully below, the undersigned 

recommends the district court grant Plaintiff’s motion for EAJA attorney fees.

On August 5, 2022, this Court granted the parties’ stipulated motion to remand the case

pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) to the Commissioner for further administrative 

1 This matter was referred to the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302 

(E.D. Cal. 2022). 

Case 1:21-cv-01008-TLN-HBK Document 30 Filed 12/13/22 Page 1 of 3
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proceedings. (Doc. No. 26). Judgment was entered the same day. (Doc. No. 27). Plaintiff now 

requests an award of fees as the prevailing party. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(a) & (d)(1)(A); Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 54(d)(1); see 28 U.S.C. § 1920; cf. Shalala v. Schaefer, 509 U.S. 292, 300-02 (1993) 

(concluding that a party who wins a sentence-four remand order under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) is a 

prevailing party). The Commissioner has filed no objection to Plaintiff’s motion for EAJA fees. 

(See docket).

The EAJA provides for an award of attorney fees to private litigants who both prevail in 

civil actions (other than tort) against the United States and timely file a petition for fees. 28 

U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A). Under the Act, a court shall award attorney fees to the prevailing party 

unless it finds the government’s position was “substantially justified or that special circumstances 

make such an award unjust.” Id. Here, the government did not show its position was 

substantially justified and the Court finds there are not special circumstances that would make an 

award unjust.

Plaintiff requests an award of $7,697.04 in EAJA fees. (Doc. No. 28). Plaintiff’s request 

is based on 33.25 attorney hours in 2022 at the rate of $231.49 per hour. (Doc. No. 28-1). The 

Court finds an award of $7,697.04 in attorney’s fees and expenses is appropriate. EAJA fees, 

expenses, and costs are subject to any offsets allowed under the Treasury Offset Program 

(“TOP”), as discussed in Astrue v. Ratliff, 532 U.S. 1192 (2010). If the Commissioner determines 

upon effectuation of this Order that Plaintiff’s EAJA fees are not subject to any offset allowed 

under the TOP, the fees shall be delivered or otherwise transmitted to Plaintiff’s counsel.

Accordingly, it is RECOMMENDED:

1. Plaintiff’s motion for EAJA attorney’s fees and expenses (Doc. No. 28) be

GRANTED.

2. The Commissioner be directed to pay to Plaintiff as the prevailing party EAJA fees in 

the amount of $7,697.04 in attorney’s fees and expenses. Unless the Department of 

Treasury determines that Plaintiff owes a federal debt, the government shall make 

payment of the EAJA fees to Plaintiff’s counsel, Jonathan O. Peña, in accordance with 

Plaintiff’s assignment of fees.

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NOTICE TO PARTIES

These findings and recommendations will be submitted to the United States district judge 

assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Within fourteen (14) 

days after being served with these findings and recommendations, a party may file written 

objections with the Court. The document should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate Judge’s 

Findings and Recommendations.” Parties are advised that failure to file objections within the 

specified time may result in the waiver of rights on appeal. Wilkerson v. Wheeler, 772 F.3d 834, 

838-39 (9th Cir. 2014) (citing Baxter v. Sullivan, 923 F.2d 1391, 1394 (9th Cir. 1991)).

Dated: December 13, 2022 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:21-cv-01008-TLN-HBK Document 30 Filed 12/13/22 Page 3 of 3