T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T N A N C Y C O O M E R , as pers on al r e p r e s e n ta tiv e o f

th e e s ta te a n d o n b e h a lf of D a nnyC oom e r , de c e a s e d, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. M I C H A E L J . A S T R U E , C om m i s s i one rof S o ci al S ecu ri ty, D ef

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A r i z ona C i ndyK . J or ge ns on, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d J anuary4, 2011 ** B efo re: H U G , S K O P IL , an d B E E Z E R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. N a nc yC oom e rappe a l s pr o s e the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de c i s i on a f f i rm i ng the C om m i ss i on er ’ s det erm i nat i on thather l at e e x-hu sband D anny C oo m er 

# FI LED AU G 11 2011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS- 2-

( “ C oom e r ” ) w a s i ne l i gi bl e f ordi s abi l i tyi ns ur a nc e be ne f i t s unde rT i t l e I I of

the S o c ia l S e c u r ityA c t f

o rth e p e r io df

r o m J a n u ary1 9 9 4 th r o u g h D e c e m b e r1 9 9 5 . A l though C oom e rw a s de t e rm i ne d t o be di s abl e d due t o C r ohn’ s di s e a s e a nd re l at ed se cond ary i m pai rm ent s a s of S ept em ber 3, 19 85 , an A dm i ni stra t i ve L aw Judg e ( A L J) i n 2 00 6 fou nd thatC oo m er ’ s e nt i t l em entt o b enef i t s e nd ed on M ar ch 3 1 , 1 9 9 4 , b e c au s e h e w a s a t th a t tim e e n g a g e din s ub s ta n tia l g a in f u l a c tiv ity ( S GA ) . T h e d i s tr i c tc o u rth a d j u r i s d i c t i o n p u r s u a n tt o 4 2 U. S . C . § 4 0 5 ( g ) , a n dwe h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 . W e a f f i rm. A pp el l antfi rs tcont ends the A L J e rr ed i n rul i ng thatC oo m er ’ s m edi ca l c o n d itio n w a s irr e le v a n t to th e d e te rm in a tio n w h e th e rh e w a s e n g a g e din S G A in 1994 a nd 1995. W e di s a gr e e . W he r e ac l a i m a ntha s pr e vi ous l ybe e n f ound t o be d is ab le d w ith in th e m e a n in g o f th e S o c ia l S e c u r ityA c t, h is e lig ib ilityf o rd is ab ility be ne f i t s m a yc e a s e , r e ga r dl e s s of hi s m e di c a l c ondi t i on, i f he i s f ound upon a ny s ta tu to r ilym a n d a te d r e v ie w to h a v e e n g a g e din S G A . See 42 U . S . C . §§ 42 1(I) , 4 2 3 ( f ) ; 2 0 C .F .R . § § 4 0 4 .1 5 9 4 ( d ) ( 5 ) , 4 0 4 .1 5 9 5 ( f ) ( 1 ) ; Kat zv . Se c ’ yof H e al th & H u m a n Servs. , 9 7 2 F .2 d 2 9 0 , 2 9 3 ( 9 th C ir .1 9 9 2 ) ( h o ld in g th a t it is n o t n e c e s s a ryto s h o w m e d ic a l im p r o v e m e n t w h e r e S G A is th e is s u e in ad is ab ilityb e n e f its t erm i nat i on ca se ).- 3-

A ppe l l a ntf

urthe rc ont e nds the A L Je rr e d i n f i ndi ng, ba s e d on c onf

l i c t i ng t e s t i m onyf

r om C oom e ra nd othe rw i tne s s e s , tha tC oom e rc ontr i but e d ove rha l f the t i m e r equi re d for m anagem entof hi s f ee d b usi ness i n 1 99 4 and 19 95 , and that th o s e s e rv ic e s a m o u n te d to S G A . W e r e je c t th is a r g u m e n t. In fi nd i ng thatC oo m ercontri bu t ed “ m ore than h al f the t ot al t i m e r equi re d f o rth e m a n a g e m e n t ” o f

h i s f e e d b u s i n e s s , a n dth a th e wa s th u s e n g a g e di n S GA , 20 C . F . R . §§ 404. 1575( a ) ( 2) & ( b) ( 1) , the A L Jr e l i e d pr i m a r i l yon a dm i s s i ons C oom e rm a de dur i ng hi s t e s t i m onya ta n A pr i l 2000 he a r i ng aboutthe ope r a t i on of hi s bus i ne s s . T he A L Jr e j e c t e d l a t e ri nc ons i s t e ntt e s t i m onyaboutthe a l l oc a t i on of r e s pons i bi l i t i e s be tw e e n C oom e ra nd one of hi s e m pl oy e e s , C hr i s t ophe rS tum p, a nd the r e portof

ac e rt i f i e d r e habi l i t a t i on c ouns e l or , D a vi d G ogue n, w ho r e l i e d on S tu m p ’s testim o n y a n d th e U n it ed S tates D ep artm en t o f L ab o r’s D i c t i onar yof O c c u p a tio n a l T

itles , t o opi ne tha tC oom e rdi d notpe r f orm m or e tha n ha l f

of the r e q u ir e d m a n a g e m e n t d u tie s . W h ile th e S e c r e ta rym a yr e lyo n th a t d ic tio n a ryto char ac t er i ze a c l ai m ant ’ s “ pastre l evantw ork” for purpo se s of aS t ep F ou r “r e s id u a l f

u n c tio n a l c ap a c ity ” d e te rm in a tio n , V i l la v. H ec kler , 797 F . 2d 794, 798- 9 9 (9 th C i r. 1 9 8 6 ), n o th i n g i n th e reg u l at i o n s o r case l aw req u i res h i m t o d o so w ith r e s p e c t to a n S G A d e te rm in a tio n .- 4-

I n a n ye v e n t, th e A L Jc le a r lyc o n s id e r e dG o g u e n ’s te s tim o n y , b u t p r o p e r ly r e j e c t e d i tbe c aus e i tw a s ba s e d on the l a t e rt e s t i m onyof S tum p, i n 2005, w ho c ontr a di c t e d C oom e r ’ s e a r l i e rt e s t i m ony , i n 2000, aboutthe a l l oc a t i on of r e s pons i bi l i t i e s be tw e e n hi m a nd hi s e m pl oy e e s . T he A L Ja l s o c ons i de r e d a nd pr ope r l ye va l ua t e d a ll of the evi dence i n the re cord. S he appl i ed the prop erl egal st andards, and h erfi nd i ng of S G A i n 1 99 4 and 19 95 i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. A FFI R M ED .