Martinez

Martinez v. Barnhart

Good Law
35 F. App'x 673
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitMay 28, 2002No. 01-15205; D.C. No. CV-99-00596-ECRCalifornia264 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM ***

Joni Martinez appeals the district court’s judgment affirming the Commissioner of Social Security’s (“Commissioner”) denial of disability benefits and sup *674 plemental security income. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review de novo a district court’s order upholding the Commissioner’s denial of benefits, and review for substantial evidence and legal error the Commissioner’s decision. Sandgathe v. Chafer, 108 F.3d 978 , 980 (9th Cir.1997) (per curiam). We affirm.

The Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) gave specific and legitimate reasons for not according controlling weight to treating physician Spogen’s opinion, including that the opinion lacked objective medical findings and conflicted with other physicians’ opinions. See id.

The ALJ fulfilled his duty to develop the record by keeping the record open for thirty days and the Appeals Council considered the letter submitted over nine months later in support of Dr. Spogen’s opinion. See Duenas v. Shalala, 34 F.3d 719, 722 (9th Cir.1994).

The ALJ properly provided specific reasons for discrediting Martinez’s subjective pain testimony, by pointing to the medical evidence and inconsistencies…

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