Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01271/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01271-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Maria Santos Thomas
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Maria Santos Thomas,

Plaintiff,

vs.

ANDREW SAUL,

Commissioner of Social Security,

Defendant.

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Case No. 1:19-cv-01271-JDP

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 03/22/2020 to 04/21/2020, for Plaintiff to serve on defendant with PLAINTIFF’S LETTER 

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 late 

request. The week of 03/15/2020, Plaintiff’s Counsel had 10 administrative hearings, two 

hearing preparation appointments with claimants, five letter briefs, one merit brief and one reply 

brief due. The week of 03/22/2020, Plaintiff’s Counsel had seven administrative hearings, 10 

hearing preparation appointments with claimants, seven letter briefs, one reply brief and two 

Case 1:19-cv-01271-HBK Document 13 Filed 03/25/20 Page 1 of 3
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opening briefs due. Each of the administrative hearings also requires administrative hearing 

briefs with a full summary of the medical records and legal arguments.

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. As a result, Plaintiff’s Counsel requires additional time to 

brief this matter.

Plaintiff’s Counsel acknowledges the untimeliness of this proposed extension request and 

apologizes to the defendant and the Court. Counsel will ensure all other deadlines and requests 

on this matter are met in a timely manner. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Dated: March 24, 2020 PENA & BROMBERG, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

By: /s/ Jonathan Omar Pena

JONATHAN OMAR PENA

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

Dated: March 24, 2020 MCGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

DEBORAH LEE STACHEL

Regional Chief Counsel, Region IX

Social Security Administration

By: */s/ Marcelo N. Illarmo

Marcelo N. Illarmo

Special Assistant United States Attorney

Attorneys for Defendant

(*As authorized by email on 03/24/2020)

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ORDER

The plaintiff’s stipulated request for extension is granted. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 24, 2020 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

No. 204.

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