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 ar 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 LI SA M CGEE , o /b / o DA RR I N J . M CGEE (dec ea se d), P la in tif

f - A p p e llan 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 pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe W e s t e rn D i s tr i c tof W a s hi ngt on R ona l d B . L e i ght on, D i s tr i c tJudge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d F e bruary5, 2010 ** S e a tt l e , W a s hi ngt on B efo re: A L A R C Ó N , W . F L E T C H E R , an dR A W L IN S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. A p p el l an tL i sa M cG ee (M s. M cG ee), o n b eh al f o f h er d eceasedsp o u se D a rr i n M c G e e ( M c G e e ) , c ha l l e nge s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s j udgm e ntuphol di ng 

# FI LED MA R 03 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

A pp el l ee C om m i ss i on erof S oci alS ec uri ty’ s ( C om m i ss i on er ) det erm i nat i on that M c G e e w a s n o t d is ab le d . 1. A nye rr orm a de bythe A dm i ni s tr a t i ve L aw Judge ( A L J ) i n om i tt i ng c h r o n ic p a in , c h r o n ic f

a tig u e , a n da n e m iaf

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M c G e e ’s im p a irm e n ts w a s ha rm l e s s be c aus e the A L Jc ons i de r e d thos e l i m i t a t i ons w he n de t e rm i ni ng M cG ee ’ s R es i du alF un ct i on alC apac i ty ( R F C ). Se e L e w is v . A s tr ue , 498 F . 3d 909, 9 1 1 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) , a s a m e n de d. T h e r e c o r de s tab lis h e s th a t th e A L Jr e v ie w e da ll th e e v id e n c e b e f

o r e h im in c o n s id e r in g M c G e e ’s f u n c tio n a l lim ita tio n s . 2. T he A L J di d n oterr i n d et erm i ni ng thatM cG ee ’ s ki dn eyand cardi ac c ondi t i ons w e r e non- s e ve r e , ori n i t s c ons i de r a t i on of a nyl i m i t a t i ons c aus e d by th es e im p airm en ts. T h e A L J c o n sid er ed all relev an t ev id en ce re g ar d in g M cG ee ’s ki dne ya nd c a r di a c c ondi t i ons , a nd “ the m e di c a l r e c or d doe s note s t abl i s h any w ork-re l at ed l i m i t at i on s a s are sul tof [these ] i m pai rm ent s. ” Ca rm i ckle v. C o m m r, Soc . Se c . A dm i n. , 53 3 F . 3d 11 55 , 11 65 (9th C i r. 20 08 ) ( ci t at i on om i tt ed).3

3. T h e A L J p ro v id ed clea r a n dco n v in cin g re as o n s f o r d isco u n ti n g M cG ee ’s s ub je c tiv e te s tim o n yr e g a r d in g h is s y m p to m s a n dlim ita tio n s . See M orga n v. C om m ’rof

So c. Sec. A dm i n. , 1 6 9 F .3 d5 9 5 , 5 9 9 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) . 4. C ontr a ryt o M c G e e ’ s a s s e rt i on, the A L Jdi d noti m pr ope r l yw e i gh the m ed ical ev id en ce b ec au se “su b stan ti al ev id en ce su p p o rts th e f in d in g th at [M cG ee ], al tho ug h p hysi ca l l y [ and m ent al l y] i m pai re d, [w as ] no tdi sabl ed . . . ” M at thew s v . Sh a la la , 10 F . 3d 678, 680 ( 9th C i r . 1993) . T he A L Je xt e ns i ve l ydi s c us s e d a nd consi dere d the m edi ca l eval uat i on s i n the re cord. H e e i ther c on si dere d the m edi ca l ev al u at i o n s as ev i d en ce est ab l i sh i n g M cG ee’ s i m p ai rm en t s, o r d i scu ssedh o w th ese e va l ua t i ons w e i ghe d a ga i ns tadi s abi l i tyf i ndi ng. I m port ant l y , none of the p h y s ic ian s w h o e x a m in e dM c G e e “e x p r e s s e dth e o p in io n th a t [ M c G e e ] w a s to ta lly d is ab le d ” o rth a t h e c o u ldn o t r e tu rn to w o rk . Id . T h e A L Ja ls o p r o p e r ly di s c ount e d D r . R a m s the l ’ s opi ni on bypr ovi di ng “ s pe c i f i c a nd l e gi t i m a t e r e a s ons thatar e s up po rt ed by subst ant i alevi dence i n the re cord, ” nam el y thatD r. R a m s th e l’s o p in io n w a s f o u n d e do n M c G e e ’s s ub je c tiv e c o m p la in ts . L es terv. Cha ter , 8 1 F .3 d8 2 1 , 8 3 0 - 3 1 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 ) , as am e nde d ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) .4

5. T h e A L J d i dn o terr i n d i sco u n t i n g M r. S p affo rd ’ s ev al u at i o n . A s a lic e n s e dc lin ic a l s o c ia l w o rk e r , M r . S p a f f o r dis n o t c o n s id e r e da n “a c c e p tab le m edi ca l source . ” See 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 15 13 (a ); 20 C . F . R . § 4 16 . 91 3(a) . T here fore , th e A L Jw a s e n title dto d is c o u n t th e w e ig h t a c c o r d e dto M r . S p a f f o r d ’s o p in io n . G om ezv. Cha ter , 74 F . 3d 96 7, 97 0-71 (9th C i r. 19 96 ). T he A L J c on clud ed that M c G e e ’s le v e l o f

a c tiv ityw a s in c o n s is te n t w ith M r . S p a f f o r d ’s o p in io n . T h is a lo n e w a s a n ap p r o p r ia te b a s is f o rd is c o u n tin g M r . S p a f f o r d ’s o p in io n . Se e R ol l i ns v. M a ssa n a ri , 26 1 F . 3d 85 3, 85 6 (9th C i r. 20 01 ).

6. T h e AL Jd i dn o ti m p r o p e r l ya s s e s s th e l aywi tn e s s e v i d e n c e . He c ons i de r e d a l l the l a yt e s t i m ony , a nd w e i ghe d i ti n l i ghtof the othe re vi de nc e i n the r e c or d.

7. T h e A L Jd idn o t e rrin d e te rm in in g M c G e e ’s R F C . H e “to o kin to a c c ountthos e l i m i t a t i ons f orw hi c h the r e w a s r e c or d s upporttha tdi d notde pe nd on [M cG ee ’ s] subj ec t i ve com pl ai nt s. ” B a yl iss v. B a rn h a rt , 4 2 7 F .3 d1 2 1 1 , 1 2 1 7 ( 9 th C i r. 20 05 ). T he A L J’ s R F C det erm i nat i on w as supp ort ed by subst ant i alevi dence in th e r e c o r d . Se e i d.5

8. T h e A L Jd idn o t p o s e a n im p r o p e rh yp o th e tic a l to th e v o c a tio n a l e x p e rt. T he hypo thet i ca l “ on l y i ncl ud e[ d] tho se l i m i t at i on s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. ” R obbi ns v . Soc . Se c . A dm i n. , 466 F . 3d 880, 886 ( 9th C i r . 2006) (c i t at i on om i tt ed). AF F I RME D.