(SS) Lewis v. Commissioner of Social Security

Opinion

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 3

5 GARY J. LEWIS, ) 1:23-cv-01434-GSA ) 6 Plaintiff, ) ORDER FOR AWARD OF ATTORNEY v. ) FEES PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL 7 ) ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT Commissioner of Social Security, ) 8 Defendant. ) ) 9 ) ) 10 ) Pursuant to the parties’ stipulation, the Court awards Plaintiff attorney fees in the amount 11 of $7,800.00. The award of attorney fees will satisfy all of Plaintiff’s claims for fees, costs, and 12 expenses under 28 U.S.C. § 2412 in this case. Any fees paid belong to Plaintiff and not her 13 attorney and can be offset to satisfy pre-existing debt that the litigant owes the United States 14 under Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S. Ct. 2521 (2010). Fees shall be made payable to Plaintiff, but if the 15 Department of the Treasury determines that Plaintiff does not owe a federal debt, then the 16 government shall cause the payment of fees, expenses and costs to be made directly to Counsel, 17 Meredith E. Marcus, pursuant to the assignment executed by Plaintiff. Any payments made shall 18 be delivered to Plaintiff’s counsel and may be made by electronic fund transfer (EFT) or by 19 check. 20

21 IT IS SO ORDERED. 22

23 Dated: May 12, 2025 /s/ Gary S. Austin UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 24 25 26 27 28