Filed: Dec. 22, 2015
Latest Update: Dec. 22, 2015
Summary: OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA STEVEN P. SHREDER , Magistrate Judge . Plaintiff Woodrow B. Johnson was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,356.20 and costs in the amount of $400.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. 2412(d). See Docket Nos. 19-20. The Commissioner subsequently filed a Stipulation RE: Plaintiff's Petit
Summary: OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA STEVEN P. SHREDER , Magistrate Judge . Plaintiff Woodrow B. Johnson was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,356.20 and costs in the amount of $400.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. 2412(d). See Docket Nos. 19-20. The Commissioner subsequently filed a Stipulation RE: Plaintiff's Petiti..
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OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA
STEVEN P. SHREDER, Magistrate Judge.
Plaintiff Woodrow B. Johnson was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,356.20 and costs in the amount of $400.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). See Docket Nos. 19-20. The Commissioner subsequently filed a Stipulation RE: Plaintiff's Petition and Memorandum for Attorney's Fees [Docket No. 21], indicating that the parties have stipulated to an attorney's fee in the amount of $4,850.00 and that the Commissioner does not object to the costs of $400.00.
Upon review of the record herein, the Court finds that said amount is reasonable and that the Commissioner should be ordered to pay it to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A) ("Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, a court shall award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses, in addition to any costs awarded pursuant to subsection (a), incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort)[.]"); see also Manning v. Astrue, 510 F.3d 1246, 1251 (10th Cir. 2007) ("The EAJA therefore permits attorney's fees reimbursement to financially eligible prevailing parties, who make a proper application, and not to their attorneys.").
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Plaintiff's Application for an Award of Attorneys' Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act and Motion for Award of Court Costs [Docket No. 19] is hereby DENIED as moot, and the Commissioner's Stipulation RE: Plaintiff's Petition and Memorandum for Attorney's Fees [Docket No. 21] is hereby GRANTED and that the Government is hereby ordered to pay the above-referenced amount to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if the Plaintiff's attorney is subsequently awarded any fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1), said attorney shall refund the smaller amount of such fees to the Plaintiff pursuant to Weakley v. Bowen, 803 F.2d 575, 580 (10th Cir. 1986).
