Scott v. Social Security Administration
Filing
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ORDER Vacating 12 Order; REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION Recommending in forma pauperis status be revoked re 11 REFERRAL NOTICE. Objections to R&R due by 4/19/2018. Signed by Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman on 4/5/2018. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - JM)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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KENYA N. SCOTT,
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Case No. 2:17-cv-02557-RFB-CWH
Plaintiff,
REPORT & RECOMMENDATION
v.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
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Defendant.
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Presently before this Court is a referral (ECF No. 11) from the United States Court of
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Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Court previously considered the referral and mistakenly
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issued an order (ECF No. 12), instead of a report and recommendation. The Court will vacate the
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previous order.
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The Ninth Circuit has instructed this Court to determine whether Plaintiff’s in forma
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pauperis status should continue for her appeal. An appeal may not be taken in forma pauperis if
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the trial court certifies in writing that it is not taken in good faith. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3). An
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appeal’s good faith requirement is satisfied if it seeks review of any issue that is “not frivolous.”
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Gardner v. Pogue, 558 F.2d 548, 551 (9th Cir. 1977). The Ninth Circuit has previously held that
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“[i]f at least one issue or claim is found to be non-frivolous, leave to proceed in forma pauperis on
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appeal must be granted for the case as a whole.” Hooker v. Am. Airlines, 302 F.3d 1091, 1092
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(9th Cir. 2002).
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On October 11, 2017, the Court granted Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma
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pauperis (ECF No. 4), finding that Plaintiff was unable to pay the filing fee in District Court. In
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the same order, the Court also ordered that Plaintiff’s complaint be dismissed without prejudice
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for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Plaintiff was given thirty days in
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which to file an amended complaint. Plaintiff did not file an amended complaint, but on
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November 14, 2017, did file a four-line notice to the Court (ECF No. 6) that addressed some, but
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not all, of the deficiencies noted in her complaint. On December 1, 2017, Judge Hoffman issued
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a report and recommendation (ECF No. 7) that Plaintiff’s complaint be dismissed without
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prejudice. Plaintiff did not file an objection. On January 22, 2018, Judge Boulware entered an
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order accepting and adopting the report and recommendation. ECF No. 8. The case was then
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closed.
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On March 23, 2018, Plaintiff filed a notice of appeal (ECF No. 9), which claims that “the
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judge’s findings and ruling are insufficient.” Plaintiff’s notice of appeal re-alleges that her social
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security benefits were improperly denied, but does not argue that any specific aspect of Judge
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Boulware’s order dismissing her complaint was erroneous. Considering the lack of any specific
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objection to the Court’s orders, as well as Plaintiff’s failure to object to the report and
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recommendation, the Court finds Plaintiff’s appeal is frivolous. The Court will therefore
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recommend that Plaintiff should not be granted in forma pauperis status for her appeal.
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Page 2 of 3
ORDER AND RECOMMENDATION
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IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Court’s previous order (ECF No. 12) is
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VACATED.
IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff’s in forma pauperis status be revoked
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for purposes of her appeal.
NOTICE
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Pursuant to Local Rule IB 3-2, any objection to this Finding and Recommendation must
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be in writing and filed with the Clerk of the Court within fourteen (14) days. The Supreme Court
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has held that the courts of appeal may determine that an appeal has been waived due to the failure
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to file objections within the specified time. Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 142 (1985). This
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circuit has also held that (1) failure to file objections within the specified time and (2) failure to
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properly address and brief the objectionable issues waives the right to appeal the District Court’s
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order and/or appeal factual issues from the order of the District Court. Martinez v. Ylst, 951 F.2d
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1153, 1157 (9th Cir. 1991); Britt v. Simi Valley United Sch. Dist., 708 F.2d 452, 454 (9th Cir.
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1983).
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DATED: April 5, 2018
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C.W. HOFFMAN, JR.
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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