Opinion ID: 786733
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Crestview's Procedural Challenges

Text: 12 Crestview unavailingly asserts that the ALJ made several procedural errors unrelated to the denial of the in-person hearing. First, Crestview asserts that [the ALJ]'s biased and prejudicial behavior merits reversal. Pet. Br. at 13. Crestview apparently believes that the ALJ blamed Crestview for several long delays in the proceedings. This argument is without support. The ALJ blamed both parties for the long delay between the closing of the record and the scheduling of the in-person hearing. J.A. at 23 (ALJ Decision). Additionally, the ALJ was relatively lenient with Crestview; Crestview was given a two-day extension for the filing of its prehearing brief and a two-week extension for the filing of its brief in opposition to summary judgment, even though Crestview had clearly missed the twenty-day window for filing a response to CMS's summary judgment motion. 13 Second, Crestview suggests that it was denied an adequate chance to respond to CMS's summary judgment motion because it was not permitted to submit any evidence in response to issues raised by CMS. Pet. Br. at 7. It is not clear precisely what new issues CMS raised in its summary judgment motion to which Crestview wished to respond via new affidavits or declarations, excluding the issue of Crestview's ability to pay, which was initially raised by Crestview itself. CMS did not receive any evidentiary advantage. The ALJ had forbidden both parties from adding new exhibits after December 4, 2000, and the ALJ specifically discounted the new declarations that accompanied CMS's reply brief. 14 Third, Crestview suggests that CMS's motion for summary judgment was untimely and unauthorized. Pet. Br. at 9. There is no basis for this claim, as there is nothing to prevent CMS from filing such a motion with its reply brief or at any other time. Furthermore, CMS's prehearing brief asked ALJ Hughes to grant CMS a summary affirmance, putting Crestview on notice of what was to come. 15