Reported / Citable
Background
Carla Donnette Sanders brought an action against the Commissioner of Social Security. The district court referred the matter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson for consideration under applicable law and the court’s orders.
The magistrate judge issued a report addressing the Commissioner’s unopposed motion to remand. The district court then reviewed that report.
The Court’s Holding
Judge Michael J. Truncale found that the magistrate judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law were correct and adopted the report.
The order did not itself expressly grant the Commissioner’s motion or reverse and remand the case. Instead, it stated that a separate final judgment would be entered reversing and remanding the action to the Commissioner for a rehearing and a de novo determination under the fourth sentence of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
Key Takeaways
- The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s report concerning the Commissioner’s unopposed remand motion.
- The court found the report’s factual findings and legal conclusions correct.
- A separate final judgment was to provide for reversal and remand under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
Why It Matters
The order approved the magistrate judge’s analysis but left the operative reversal and remand to a separate final judgment. That procedural distinction matters when identifying the document that formally disposes of the Social Security appeal.