Keith v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 5:2016cv00103 - Document 39 (W.D. Ky. 2020)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 4/27/2020. 35 MOTION for Attorney Fees is GRANTED, in part, and DENIED, in part. Ms. Thornton-Green is AWARDED a fee for legal services, under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b), in the amount of $8,625. The Commissioner shall PAY Ms. Thornton-Green from Plaintiff's pastdue benefits being withheld for payment of attorney fees. cc: Counsel (MNM)
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Keith v. Commissioner of Social Security LAURA KIMBERLY KEITH Doc. 39 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : CV 3 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. ANDREW SAUL, Co issio er of So ial Se urity MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This atte is efo e the Cou t o the otio of Plai tiff’s ou sel, Do atto e fees pu sua t to U.“.C. § i the a ou t of $ espo ded i oppositio , a d ou sel eplied. [DN the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete , , . a “. Tho to G ee , fo . [DN ]. The Co issio e ]. The pa ties o se ted to the ju isdi tio of i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. [DN ]. Fo the easo s elo , the Cou t ill pa tiall GRANT a d pa tiall DENY ou sel’s otio [DN ] a d ill AWARD ou sel a fee i the a ou t of $ , . Pro edural History The Cou t e a ded this atte to the Co a a ded Plai tiff a d, a ou t of $ , . assig . issio e fo fu the ad i ist ati e p o eedi gs a d e t, ou sel e efits u de the E ual A ess to Justi e A t i the hou s $ pe hou . [DN , ]. O e a d, the Co Plai tiff disa ilit a d au ilia e efits i the a ou t of $ ithholdi g $ , . % of $ , . , . . The Co of past due e efits fo pa issio e a a ded issio e is p ese tl e t of atto e fees. Dis ussio The Co ould o stitute a issio e i his t ustee like ole a gues that a “e tio i dfall to ou sel i light of he . a a d of $ , . hou s of Cou t ti e a ou ti g to a ate of The Co issio e ’s al ulatio s a e slightl diffe e t tha those stated he ei e ause he has ou ded ou sel’s hou s up to . . Dockets.Justia.com $ , . pe hou . [DN a a d ou sel is $ , . at ]. The Co . issio e fu the a gues that the ost the Cou t should hou s $ pe hou . [Id. at ]. The Cou t fi ds oth a gu e ts to e pe suasi e a d ill a a d ou sel the a i u fee p oposed the Co issio e . The “i th Ci uit des i ed the appli a le a al ti f a e o k i Lasley . Co F. d full th Ci . . Lasle ’s ou sel sought a “e tio pe e t of ithheld e efits ased o ou t ag eed Co issio e $ ith the Co fee i the a ou t of $ . hou s of ou t o k . Id. at a gued that a a di g ou sel that u h ould o stitute a , pe hou , a d the “i th Ci uit affi , . . The Co i dfall to ou sel. Id. at issio e , edu ed the fee to $ . hou s $ ’r of So . Se ., the issio e . The dist i t , the a ou t p oposed the ed. Id. The “i th Ci uit held that pe hou as pe se easo a le e ause it as ot o e tha t i e the sta da d ate of $ pe hou , appli a le to “e tio fee e uests i the “outhe Dist i t of Ohio. Id. uoti g Hayes . Se 'y of Health & Hu a Ser s., Magist ate Judge B e F. d , th Ci . HBB, . hou s $ WL . e stuhl e e tl o du ted a su e of ele a t asela a d dete that the sta da d ate i the Weste Dist i t of Ke tu k is $ CV , at * W.D. K . “ept. , pe hou . Carter . Co i ed ’r, No. : . I this ase, the efo e, a fee of $ , pe hou ould e pe se easo a le. Ho e e , a h potheti al hou l ate that is e ual to o g eate tha t i e the sta da d ate a [also] ell e easo a le. Lasley . Co at . I this ase, the Co 'r, F. d , th Ci . uoti g Hayes, F. d issio e a k o ledges that [s]i e [ ou sel] is o e e pe ie ed tha [ a othe atto e s], a ate so e hat lose to [a] highe goalpost su h as $ pe hou a e app op iate. [DN at ]. Be ause ou sel is o e of the ost e pe ie ed atto e s ep ese ti g “o ial “e u it plai tiffs i the Weste Dist i t of Ke tu k , the Cou t fi ds that ou sel is e titled to $ hou . The efo e, the app op iate fee i this ase is $ , . hou s $ pe pe hou . Cou sel’s relia e o Cul ertson, Bar enas, a d Cree h is u persuasive. Plai tiff a gues that th ee ases e title he to a “e tio Co ’r, , “.Ct. ; Bar e as . Co ; Cree h . Co 'r, No. : CV ’r, No. CV J PDB, fee of $ A“, WL , . : Cul ertso . WL C.D. Cal. Aug. M.D. Fla. Ja . , . [DN at , , ]. I Cul ertso . Co ’r, “.Ct. disa ilit ase. Wood . Co 'r, F. d . Berryhill, “.Ct. , Cul e tso ep ese ted Wood i he “o ial “e u it th Ci . , e 'd a d e a ded su o . Cul ertso . The Dist i t Cou t e a ded Wood’s ase fo fu the ad i ist ati e p o eedi gs, hi h esulted i a a a d of e efits. Id. at ithheld . The “o ial “e u it Ad i ist atio pe e t of past due e efits a d a a ded Cul e tso $ , pu sua t to “e tio his ti e efo e the Ad i ist atio . Id. The Dist i t Cou t as alled upo to dete “e tio i e Cul e tso ’s fee fo his ti e efo e the Cou t. Id. Cul e tso e uested a fee of $ , Dist i t Cou t edu ed the fee to $ , . $ , . i us $ , a fo . . Id. The . Id. The Dist i t Cou t de li ed to pa the full a ou t e uested M . Cul e tso e ause it fou d he failed to su t a t the ea lie § a a a d i al ulati g his fees. Id. The “up e e Cou t e e sed a d e a ded ith the possi ilit that Cul e tso e ei e the full $ , . e uested “.Ct. ith o su t a tio fo Cul e tso ’s ad i ist ati e ti e . Cul ertso . Berryhill, . The Cou t’s uli g as ased o i te p etatio of U.“.C. § A : Whe e e a ou t e de s a judg e t fa o a le to a lai a t u de [Title II of the “o ial “e u it A t] ho as represe ted efore the ourt y a attor ey, the ou t a dete i e a d allo Cou sel states o e tl that she u de sta ds that e ause the a ou t of atto e ’s fees a a ded to Plai tiff pu sua t to the Joi t “tipulatio /Ag eed O de fo A a d of Atto e Fees u de the E ual A ess to Justi e A t, i.e., $ , . , is s alle tha the a ou t of atto e ’s fee he ei e uested [o a a ded], it ust e efu ded to the Plai tiff. [DN at ]. as pa t of its judg e t a easo a le fee fo su h ep ese tatio , ot i e ess of pe e t of the total of the past due e efits to hi h the lai a t is e titled easo of su h judg e t. “e tio A e phasis added . The Cou t dete i ed that su h efe s a k to ep ese t[atio ] efo e the ou t “.Ct. at a atto e a d does ot o te plate ep ese tatio efo e the Ad i ist atio . . Cul ertso is disti guisha le e ause, u like Cul e tso , p ese t ou sel states she has ot sought a ad i ist ati e fee pe di g this ou t’s o de . [DN to edu e ou sel’s “e tio fee ased o a “e tio at ]. Be ause the Cou t does ot seek a fee she a o a ot e ei e i the futu e, ou sel’s elia e o Cul ertso is u pe suasi e. While ou sel e phasizes that she e pe ded . hou s at the ad i ist ati e a d ou t le els [DN autho izes this Cou t to a a d pa at ], othi g i Cul ertso e t fo ti e spe t at the ad i ist ati e le el. Cou sel’s elia e o Bar e as . Co , at ; DN ’r, No. CV A“, WL C.D. Cal. Aug. is also u pe suasi e. I Bar e as, the Dist i t Cou t app o ed a “e tio fo . hou s of atto e ti e plus $ fee of app o i atel $ , $ , ’r, F. d , fo . hou s of pa alegal ti e, esulti g i a hou l [atto e ] di ided . hou s . The Cou t fou d a hou l ate of $ , easo a le u de the i u sta es e ause, a o g othe thi gs, [Cra ford . Co fee of $ edu i g § fees afte th Ci . ] is a di e usi ess. Id. at * i te al uotatio eli i ated . As dis ussed a o e, the “i th Ci uit a d this Cou t ha e o siste tl edu ed “e tio fee e uests ased o the u e of ou t hou s e pe ded a d the sta da d ate fo ou t o k. See Lasley . Co th Ci . ’r, F. d W.D. K . “ept. , ; Carter . Co CV 'r, No. : CV J PDB, is u pe suasi e. I Cree h, the Dist i t Cou t app o ed a “e tio . hou s of atto e ti e, esulti g i a hou l atto e fee of app o i atel $ , HBB, WL . Fi all , ou sel’s elia e o Cree h . Co Ja . , ’r, No. : WL M.D. Fla. fee of $ $ , . hou s . Cree h is i o siste t ith the p e ede t of the “i th Ci uit a d this Cou t. , fo di ided ORDER Fo the fo egoi g easo s, it is he e ORDERED that atto e Do fo atto e fees u de U.“.C. § [DN ] is GRANTED, i pa t, a d DENIED, i pa t. Ms. Tho to G ee is AWARDED a fee fo legal se i es, u de Co pa U.“.C. § , i the a ou t of $ , . The issio e shall PAY Ms. Tho to G ee f o Plai tiff’s past due e efits ei g ithheld fo e t of atto e fees. April 27, 2020 a “. Tho to G ee ’s otio
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