Court Opinion

ID: 2964912
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:32:53.429037+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:43:03.480607
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

                                [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                                 ____________________

        No. 97-1185

                                     JOANN CARON,

                                Plaintiff, Appellant,

                                          v.

                           SHIRLEY S. CHATER, COMMISSIONER,
                           SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,

                                 Defendant, Appellee.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                          FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

                 [Hon. Frank H. Freedman, Senior U.S. District Judge]
                                          __________________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                               Selya, Boudin and Stahl,
                                   Circuit Judges.
                                   ______________

                                 ____________________

            Francis Lafayette on brief for appellant.
            _________________
            Donald  K.  Stern,  United  States  Attorney,  Karen  L.  Goodwin,
            _________________                              __________________
        Assistant  United   States  Attorney,  and  Sara   Gardiner  Kilkenny,
                                                    _________________________
        Assistant Regional  Counsel, Social Security  Administration, on brief
        for appellee.

                                 ____________________

                                  September 3, 1997
                                 ____________________

                      Per Curiam.   We have examined the  parties' briefs
                      __________

            and  the record  on appeal.   Although  we have  considerable

            doubt  whether  the  district  court  had  jurisdiction,  the

            Commissioner's decision is adequately supported, so we see no

            need  to reach  the jurisdictional  issue in  this case.   We

            affirm the order  of the district  court, dated November  27,

            1996, essentially for the reasons given in the district court

            Memorandum  of  the  same  date.    We  would  add  only  the

            following.

                      Claimant  argues   the  Administrative   Law  Judge

            ("ALJ")  improperly  used  "the Grid"  (20  C.F.R.  Part 404,

            Subpart P,  App. 2)  in  evaluating claimant's  nonexertional

            limitations.   This court has  noted use of "the  Grid" alone

            may  be  improper  in   some  cases  involving  nonexertional

            limitations.  Ortiz  v. Secretary of  Health & Human  Servs.,
                          ______________________________________________

            890  F.2d 520,  524-24 (1st  Cir. 1989).   But  here the  ALJ

            followed  the rule  from Ortiz  by using  the testimony  of a
                                     _____

            vocational expert in addition to using "the Grid." Id.  Thus,
                                                               ___

            the ALJ's use of "the Grid" was not improper.

                      Claimant also argues the ALJ failed to evaluate her

            subjective  complaints  of  pain.    While  a  more  detailed

            analysis  of those complaints would have been preferable, see
                                                                      ___

            Frustaglia v.  Secretary of Health  & Human Servs.,  829 F.2d
            __________________________________________________

            192, 195 (1st Cir.  1987), we have examined the record and we

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            conclude  the ALJ had  ample support for  his conclusion that

            the claimant's subjective complaints were not credible.

                      AFFIRMED.
                      _________

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