Akers v. Saul

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedMarch 16, 2021
Docket7:19-cv-00733
StatusUnknown

This text of Akers v. Saul (Akers v. Saul) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Akers v. Saul, (W.D. Va. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ROANOKE DIVISION CODY A., ) ) Plaintiff ) Civil Action No. 7:19-CV-733 ) . Vv. ) : ) ANDREW SAUL, Commissioner of ) Social Security, ) By: Michael F. Urbanski ) Chief United States District Judge ) Defendant ) MEMORANDUM OPINION This social security disability appeal was referred to the Honorable Robert S. Ballou, United States Magistrate Judge, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(), for proposed findings of fact and a recommended disposition. The magistrate judge filed a report and recommendation (“R&R”) on February 18, 2021, recommending that plaintiffs motion for summary judgment be denied, the Commissioner’s motion for summary judgment be granted, and the Commnissionet’s final decision be affirmed. Plaintiff Cody A. (“Cody’’) has filed objections to the R&R and this matter is now ripe for the court’s consideration. I. Background Cody filed applications for disability insurance benefits and supplemental security income on March 17, 2016, alleging disability beginning on March 1, 2015. Cody was 25 years old at the alleged onset date. He seeks disability based on major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and alcohol abuse. The AL] found that his impairments were severe under the

regulations, but that none of them met or medically equaled a listed impairment.! The ALJ found that Cody had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform a full range of work at all exertional levels, with additional nonexertional limitations. A vocational expert testified that Cody could do jobs such as domestic laundry worker, hand packager, and production helper. The ALJ concluded that there was work in the economy for Cody and therefore he was not disabled. R. 15-24. The Appeals Council denied Cody’s request for review, R. 1-3, making the ALJ decision the final decision of the Commissioner. This lawsuit followed. The magistrate judge found that the AL] determination was supported by substantial evidence and Cody has objected to several of the magistrate judge’s findings. II. Standard of Review of Magistrate Judge Decision The objection requirement set forth in Rule 72(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedute?. is designed to “train[ ] the attention of both the district court and the court of appeals upon only those issues that remain in dispute after the magistrate judge has made findings and recommendations.” United States v. Midgette, 478 F.3d 616, 621 (4th Cir. 2007) (citing Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 147-48 (1985)). An objecting party must do so “with sufficient specificity so as reasonably to alert the district court of the true ground for the objection.” Id. at 622. To conclude otherwise would defeat the purpose of requiring objections. We would be petmitting a party to appeal any issue that was before the magistrate judge, regardless of the nature and scope of objections made to the magistrate

1 The ALJ also found that Cody’s other alleged impairments of obesity and hypertension were non-severe, and Cody does not object to that finding. 2 “Within 14 days after being served with a copy of the recommended disposition, a party may serve and file specific written objections to the proposed findings and recommendations.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b). . 3 □

judge’s report. Hither the district court would then have to review every issue in the magistrate judge’s proposed findings and recommendations or courts of appeals would be required to review issues that the district court never considered. In either case, judicial resources would be wasted and the district coutt’s effectiveness based on help from magistrate judges would be undermined.

The district court must determine de novo any portion of the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation to which a proper objection has been made. “The district court may accept, teject, ot modify the recommended disposition; receive further evidence; ot return the matter to the magistrate judge with instructions.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(3); 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). If, however, a party “‘makes general or conclusory objections that do not direct the ‘court to a specific error in the magistrate judge’s proposed findings and recommendations,” de novo review is not required. Diprospero v. Colvin, No. 5:13-cv-00088-FDW-DSC, 2014 WL 1669806, at *1 (W.D.N.C. 2014) (quoting Howard Yellow Cabs, Inc. v. United States, 987 F. Supp. 469, 474 (W.D.N.C. 1997) and Orpiano v. Johnson, 687 F.2d 44, 47 (4th Cit. 1982). “The district court is required to review de novo only those portions of the report to which specific objections have been made.” Roach v. Gates, 417 F. App’x 313, 314 (4th Cir. 2011). also Camper v. Comm’t of Soc. Sec., No. 4:08ev69, 2009 WL 9044111, at *2 (ED. Va, 2009), affd, 373 F. App’x 346 (4th Cir.) (“The court will not consider those objections by the plaintiff that are metely conclusory or attempt to object to the entirety of the Report, without focusing the court’s attention on specific errors therein.”); Midgette, 478 F.3d at 621 (“Section 636(b)(1) does not countenance a form of generalized objection to cover all issues addressed by the magistrate judge; it contemplates that a party’s objection to a magistrate judge’s report

be specific and particularized, as the statute directs the district court to review only ‘those portions of the repott or specified proposed findings or recommendations to which objection is made.”’) (emphasis in original). Such general objections “have the same effect as a failure to object, or as a waiver of such objection.” Moon v. BWX Technologies, 742 F. Supp. 2d 827, 829 (W.D. Va. 2010), afPd, 498 F. App’x 268 (4th Cit. 2012). See also Am, 474 U.S. at 154 (“[T]he statute does not require the judge to review an issue de novo if no objections are filed. 2). Rehashing arguments raised before the magistrate judge does not comply with the requirement set forth in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to file specific objections. Indeed, objections that simply reiterate arguments raised before the magistrate judge ate considered to be general objections to the entirety of the report and recommendation. See Veney v. Astrue, 539 F. Supp. 2d 841, 844-45 (W.D. Va. 2008). As the court noted in Veney: □□□ Allowing a litigant to obtain de novo teview of her entire case by merely reformatting an earlier brief as an objection “mak([es] the initial reference to the magistrate useless. The functions of the district court are effectively duplicated as both the magistrate and the district court perform identical tasks. This . duplication of time and effort wastes judicial resources rather than saving them, and runs contrary to the purposes of the Magistrates Act.” Howard [v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs.], 932 F.2d [505,] [] 509 [(6th Cir. 1991)]. Veney, 539 F. Supp. 2d at 846. A plaintiff who reiterates her previously-raised arguments will not be given “the second bite at the apple she seeks;” instead, her re-filed brief will be treated

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Related

Richardson v. Perales
402 U.S. 389 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Thomas v. Arn
474 U.S. 140 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Pierce v. Underwood
487 U.S. 552 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Roach v. Gates
417 F. App'x 313 (Fourth Circuit, 2011)
Paula Felton-Miller v. Michael Astrue
459 F. App'x 226 (Fourth Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Nicholas Omar Midgette
478 F.3d 616 (Fourth Circuit, 2007)
Judy Moon v. BWX Technologies, Incorporated
498 F. App'x 268 (Fourth Circuit, 2012)
Howard's Yellow Cabs, Inc. v. United States
987 F. Supp. 469 (W.D. North Carolina, 1997)
Veney v. Astrue
539 F. Supp. 2d 841 (W.D. Virginia, 2008)
Moon v. BWX Technologies, Inc.
742 F. Supp. 2d 827 (W.D. Virginia, 2010)
Bonnilyn Mascio v. Carolyn Colvin
780 F.3d 632 (Fourth Circuit, 2015)
Biestek v. Berryhill
587 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 2019)
Esin Arakas v. Commissioner, Social Security
983 F.3d 83 (Fourth Circuit, 2020)

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Bluebook (online)
Akers v. Saul, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/akers-v-saul-vawd-2021.