-\- r'-ri/~. y , ••• l - . 11 1 • . 111 / . 1 l\Ji 1 UNITE D STATE S DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N ' OFFIC E O F HEARING S

WASHINGTON , D.C . I N TH E MATTE RO F DARB Y AVIATIO N FA A Docke t

No . CP08SO002 6 FA A Cas e No . 2008SO090020 DMSNO.FAA-2008-119 2 

# BECBIVE O JUf J 1 0 201 0 

## HEARIN G DOCKE T

Administrativ e La w Judg e Isaa c D . Benki n AGENCY' S OPPOSITIO N T O RESPONDENT' S MOTIO N COME S NOW , th e Agenc y and , b y an d throug h it s undersigne d counsel , oppose s th e Motio n t o allo w Responden t t o file abrief

, sai d Motio n serve d Jun e 4,2010 , a s follows : I n hi s benc h orde r

o n Marc h 16 , 2010 , an d agai n i n hi s writte n Orde r serve d Marc h 18 , 2010 , th e Administrativ e La w Judg e se t th e tim e for

submittin g initia l post hearin g brief

s o n Ma y 25 , 2010 . Becaus e th e transcrip t wa s delaye d th e Judge , i n an Orde r serve d Apri l 21,2010 , extende d th e tim e for filing transcrip t

corrections , but

h e di d no t exten d th e tim e for

filing th e initia l post-hearin g briefs . I n fact , i n atelephon e conferenc e cal l se t

u p t o determin e th e deadlin e for th e transcrip t

corrections , th e Judg e specificall y aske d th e partie s i f th e post-hearin g brie f

deadlin e neede d t o b e changed . Both partie s agree d tha t

th e Ma y 25,2010 , deadlin e woul d remai n effective . I n a n e-mai l date d Apri l 20,2010 , th e Judg e specificall y wrote , "I f thi s delay cause s anee d t o exten d th e briefin g deadlines , pleas e le t m e kno w ASAP. " Respondent' s Counse l acknowledge d

### th e Judge' s e-mail o n Apri l 20,2010 , bu

t didnot oppos e the deadline o

f Ma y 25,2010 , se t fo r th e submission of

post-hearin g briefs . Respondent' s Counse l neve r communicated to th e Agenc y aneed t

o extend th e post-hearing brief deadline unti l Ma

y 20,2010 , whe

n Davi d B . Anderson copied th e Agenc y i n a n e-mai l to Judg e Benkin asking i f

h e could hav e som e additiona

l tim e to file th e brief' Th

e Agency receive dn o furthe r communication s firomeithe r th e Judg e o

r th e Respondent' s Counse

l and , thereafter , the Agency filed it s timel

y post-hearin g brie f Th e Agency filed it s post-hearin g brief on the du e dat

e of Ma y 25 , 2010 . Th

e Respondent' s Counse

l di d no t file apost-hearing brie f

Rather , sh

e filed aMotio n to Amen d Pos t Tria l Briefing Schedule o

n June 3,2010. ^ Th

e Motio n incorrectly state s i n paragrap h 4 tha

t the Agency' s brie f

contain s n o reference s to th e hearin g transcript . Th e Agency' s brie f

i s replet e wit h reference s to the transcript . Contrar y to th e Judge' s verba

l an dwritten order s th e Respondent' s Counse l state s tha t i t doe s no t need to file apost-hearin g brief . Counse l argue s tha

t becaus e th e Agency ha s th e burde n of

proo f she should b e allowedto file areply brie f t o the Agency' s closin g brie f Such a n argumen t i s dilator y an dpropoundedsolely t o justif y th e Respondent' s failur e t o files it s brief

a s ordere d b y the Judge . Th e Responden

t shouldno t

b e allowedt o creat e th e rule s a

t thi s poin t - th e Judg e ha s establishe dth e hearin g procedure s wit h goo d reaso n an d thos e procedure s should gover n th e conduct

of th e hearin g practices . Respondent' s Counsel ha s offere dno explanation of

wh y she coul dno t

file a timely post-hearin g brief

. Rather , sh

e relie s upon th e argumen

t tha t th e procedure s should

' Respondent' s Motion state s tha t the Cour t woul d not gran t a n extension becaus e Agenc

y Counse l di d no t consen t t o a n extension . Agenc

y Counse l was neve r aske d to agree to a

n extension . ^ The certificat

e o f servic e state s tha

t th e e-mai l an d fa x copie s wer

e served Jun

e 3,2010 , an

d th e certified mail copie s wer

e serve d June 4 , 2010 . 

### pag e 2 o

f 4 page sb e change ds o a s t o allo w he r t o file arepl y brie f

Sh e di d not

sugges t i n he r Motio n tha t th e lat e receip t

o f th e transcrip t

prevente d he r

fromfiling apost-hearing brie f ^ Without goo d caus e offere d th e Responden t shoul d not

b e allowe d additiona l tim e t o files it s brie f I n th e matte r

o f Pete r Houtenbos , FA A Orde r

2002-11 , Apri l 17 , 2002 . Th e Agenc y request s tha t th e Court strik e an y brie f

tha t th e Responden t

ma y submi t i n thi s matter . Th e Responden t ha s faile d t o follo w th e Judge' s orde r i n thi s matter , ha s no t

offere d an y goo d caus e wh y i t faile d t o file apost-hearin g brief , an d shoul d not

b e allowe d a

n opportunit y t o file abrie f at thi s point . Respectfull y submitte d thi s 7 * da y o f June , 2010 .

< ^ RAYMON D VEATC H Attorne y Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Offic e o f th e Regiona l Counse l P.O . Bo x 2063 6 Atlanta , G A 3032 0 telephon e (202 ) 267-967 6 facsimil e (404 ) 305-522 3

^ Notwithstanding , suc

h a n argumen t would b e withou

t meri t - th e Agenc y ha d the sam e amoun t of tim e as th e Responden

t to file apost-hearing brief

afte r receiving the transcript

an d th e Agency' s brief

wa s timely . pag e 3 o f 4 page s

# 1

CERTIFICAT E O F SERVIC E I hereb y certif

y tha t acop y o f

thi s Agenc y oppositio n ha s bee n maile d thi s dat e b y e mail , regula r

mail , an d interna l distributio n (a s indicate d below) : Th e Honorabl e Isaa c D . Benki n Administrativ e La w Judg e Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Eas t Buildin g Groun d Floor , Roo mE12-32 0 Washington , D.C . 2059 0 e-mail : david.benkin@dot.go v Deann aL . Weidner , Esq . Davi d Anderso n Esq . Anderso n & Associates , LL C 59 5 N . 20 * Street , Suit e 145 0 Birmingham , A L 3520 3 e-mail : DLWeidner@davidbandersonlaw.com , DBAnderson@davidbandersonlaw.co m Hearin g Docke t

(interna l distributio n only ) Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Washington , D C 2059 1 Attn : Hearin g Docke t

Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wright^uildin^ A Roo m201 4

^^RAYMON

D VEATC H Attorne y

dat e

pag e 4 o f 4 page s