Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_04-cv-00125/USCOURTS-ared-3_04-cv-00125-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Social Security Administration
Defendant
Robert Walden
Plaintiff

Document Text:

1

 On March 20, 2004, the parties consented to proceed before a United States Magistrate

Judge (docket entry #5).

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

JONESBORO DIVISION

ROBERT WALDEN PLAINTIFF

v. 3:04CV00125 JTR

JO ANNE B. BARNHART,

Commissioner, Social

Security Administration DEFENDANT

ORDER

Pending before the Court1 is Plaintiff’s Motion for an Award of Attorney’s Fees and

Other Expenses Under the Provisions of the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”) and attached

Memorandum in Support (docket entry #17). Defendant has filed a Response (docket entry

#19). For the reasons set forth herein, the Motion will be granted. 

On April 13, 2004, Plaintiff filed this action challenging the decision of an

Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) denying him social security benefits (docket entry #2). On

July 19, 2005, the Court entered an Order and Judgment (docket entries #15 and #16) remanding

the case to the ALJ pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) and Buckner v. Apfel, 213

F.3d 1006, 1010-11 (8th Cir. 2000).

On September 20, 2005, Plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Anthony W. Bartels, filed a Motion for

an Award of Attorney’s Fees and Other Expenses Under the Provisions of the EAJA. In this

Motion, Mr. Bartels seeks payment for 8.65 hours of work performed by an attorney, 3.95 hours

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of work performed by a paralegal, and reimbursement for $13.95 in expenses. Pursuant to an

agreement between The Bartels Law Firm and the Office of General Counsel of the Social

Security Administration (docket entry #17, attachment), Mr. Bartels seeks payment for 8.65

hours of attorney time during 2004-05 at the adjusted hourly rate of $152.00. Mr. Bartels seeks

payment for 3.95 hours of paralegal time at the rate of $65 an hour and $13.95 in expenses.

Defendant does not object to the requested amounts for attorney’s fees and expenses. 

Under these circumstances, the Court concludes that Plaintiff is entitled to an award of

fees and expenses under the EAJA, and that the amount requested by Plaintiff’s attorney is

reasonable. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s attorney shall receive a total award of $1,585.50, which

includes: (1) 8.65 hours of attorney time at the rate of $152.00 per hour ($1,314.80); (2) 3.95

hours of paralegal time at the rate of $65.00 per hour ($256.75); and (3) $13.95 in expenses.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion for an Award of Attorney’s Fees

and Other Expenses Under the Provisions of the Equal Access to Justice Act (docket entry #17)

is hereby GRANTED.

 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Commissioner shall certify and pay to

Mr. Anthony W. Bartels, attorney for Plaintiff, $1,585.50, which has been awarded as fees and

expenses pursuant to the EAJA. 

DATED this 21st day of November, 2005. 

 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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