Carter v. Commissioner of Social Security
| Benjamin Carter |
| Commissioner of Social Security |
| Social Security - Office of the General Counsel |
| 1:2025cv01341 |
| August 13, 2025 |
| U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois |
| Ronald L Hanna |
| Social Security: SSID Tit. XVI |
| 42 U.S.C. § 405 Review of HHS Decision (SSID) |
| None |
Docket Report
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This docket was last retrieved on July 22, 2026. A more recent docket listing may be available from PACER.
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Filing 16
PROPOSED ORDER: CONSENT to Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge. (Patel, Hinal)
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Remark: The 12/12/2025 docket entry was returned as an undeliverable email address as to Conor Woods. Attorney Conor Woods email account disabled. (LN)
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Filing 15
MOTION for Extension of Time to File Plaintiff's Brief (Unopposed) by Plaintiff Benjamin Carter. Responses due by 12/26/2025 (Olinsky, Howard)
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TEXT ORDER: Plaintiff's unopposed #15 Motion for Extension of Time to File Brief is GRANTED. Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(1)(A), the Court may, for good cause, extend the time when a request is made before the original deadline expires. The Court finds good cause for the requested extension. Accordingly, Plaintiff's brief must be filed on or before February 17, 2026. Entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Hanna on December 12, 2025. (NL)
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Filing 14
ORDER entered by Judge Michael M. Mihm on 11/17/25 CONSENT to Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge. Case reassigned to Magistrate Judge Magistrate Judge Ronald L Hanna(AWR)
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Filing 13
PROPOSED ORDER: CONSENT to Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge. (Patel, Hinal)
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Filing 12
SOCIAL SECURITY TRANSCRIPT. Plaintiff Brief due by 12/17/2025. (Attachments: #1 Transcript, #2 Transcript)(Patel, Hinal)
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Filing 11
NOTICE of Filing Certified Administrative Record in Lieu of Answer (Patel, Hinal)
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Filing 10
NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Hinal A Patel on behalf of Commissioner of Social Security (Patel, Hinal)
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Filing 9
NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Howard D Olinsky on behalf of Benjamin Carter (Olinsky, Howard)
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Filing 8
NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Alison T Schwartz on behalf of Commissioner of Social Security (Schwartz, Alison)
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Filing 7
STATUS REPORT by Commissioner of Social Security. (Woods, Conor)
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On October 7, 2025, the Court stayed this case in light of the ongoing government shutdown. (See Text Order dated Oct. 7, 2025.) On October 27, 2025, the Commissioner filed a #7 status report, which the Court construes as a motion to lift the stay. In the status report, the Commissioner explains that, although the government remains shut down, the Social Security Administration has determined that it may nonetheless perform certain "excepted work," including the defense of this case. The Commissioner also requests that the deadline to file the Certified Administrative Record be extended to November 17, 2025. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(1)(A) (explaining that courts may, for good cause, extend the time when a request is made before the original deadline expires). For good cause shown, the motion is granted. Accordingly, the stay is lifted, and the Commissioner must file the Certified Administrative Record on or by November 17, 2025. Entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Hanna on October 27, 2025. (NL)
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TEXT ORDER: Plaintiff's #6 Petition for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis is GRANTED under 28 U.S.C. 1915. Plaintiff's petition was submitted under penalty of perjury and sufficiently demonstrates that Plaintiff should be excused from paying the filing fee in this action. Entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Hanna on 10/17/2025. (SM)
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Filing 6
MOTION for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis by Plaintiff Benjamin Carter. Responses due by 10/29/2025 (AWR)
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TEXT ONLY ORDER Entered by Judge Michael M. Mihm on 10/15/2025 referring Plaintiff's #6 amended Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis to Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Hanna. (AWR)
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TEXT ORDER entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L Hanna on 10/08/2025. The Court entered an Order staying proceedings in this case on 10/07/2025. While that stay remains in effect, to date Plaintiff has neither paid the $405 filing fee nor filed an amended IFP application, despite being granted leave to do so and the Clerk sending him a Long-Form IFP Application on 08/20/2025. See Text Order on 08/20/2025. Because the Court's 08/20/2025 Order did not set a deadline for Plaintiff to pay the filing fee or file an amended IFP application, it does so now. Plaintiff is ORDRED to pay the $405 filing fee or file an amended IFP application using the form provided by the Court by or before 10/15/2025. The Court further WARNS Plaintiff that if he fails to comply with this Order, this case will be dismissed for want of prosecution. (AWR)
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TEXT ORDER: On October 1, 2025, the Commissioner filed a #5 Motion for a Stay of Case in Light of United States Government Cessation. In the motion, the Commissioner indicates that Congress's appropriations to the Department of Justice and the Social Security Administration have lapsed. As such, Department of Justice attorneys are "prohibited from working." Under these extraordinary circumstances, the Court finds that a stay is warranted, and the Commissioner's 34 motion is GRANTED. See Lisa M. v. Kijakazi, 2021 WL 4804073, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 4, 2021) (indicating that the court had entered an order staying a social security appeal because of a government shutdown). This case is therefore STAYED, and all deadlines will be extended in proportion to the number of days the stay persists. The Commissioner shall file a status report no more than 14 days after the government shutdown has abated. Entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Hanna on October 7, 2025. (NL)
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Filing 5
MOTION to Stay in Light of United States Government Cessation by Defendant Commissioner of Social Security. Responses due by 10/15/2025 (Woods, Conor)
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TEXT ORDER: The purpose of the in forma pauperis statute is to ensure that indigent litigants have meaningful access to the courts. Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324 (1988). A plaintiff seeking to proceed in forma pauperis must demonstrate in an affidavit that, because of his poverty, he cannot pay the administrative fees to commence his lawsuit and still be able to provide the necessities of life for himself and his dependents. Zaun v. Dobbin, 628 F.2d 990, 992 (7th Cir. 1980). Based on the information contained in Plaintiff's IFP application, the Court is unable to determine Plaintiffs capacity to pay the $405 filing fee in this case. Accordingly, his #2 IFP Motion is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. If Plaintiff wishes to proceed in forma pauperis, he is directed to file the Long-Form IFP Application (AO-239), which the Clerk of Court is ORDERED to mail to him along with a copy of this Order. Accordingly, Plaintiff's #3 Motion to Request Counsel is DEEMED MOOT, as the Court is unable to determine Plaintiff's indigency at this time. But see Pruitt v. Mote, 503 F.3d 647, 654 (7th Cir. 2007) (noting that in determining whether to recruit an attorney, the court asks two questions: "(1) has the indigent plaintiff made a reasonable attempt to obtain counsel or been effectively precluded from doing so; and if so, (2) given the difficulty in the case, does the plaintiff appear competent to litigate it himself?"). Plaintiff is GRANTED LEAVE to refile his Motion to Request Counsel along with his Long-Form IFP Application. Entered by Magistrate Judge Ronald L Hanna on 08/20/2025. (NJR)
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Filing 4
NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Conor Woods on behalf of Commissioner of Social Security (Attachments: #1 Certificate of Service)(Woods, Conor)
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Filing 3
MOTION to Request Counsel by Plaintiff Benjamin Carter. Responses due by 8/27/2025 (AWR)
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Filing 2
MOTION for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis by Plaintiff Benjamin Carter. Responses due by 8/27/2025 (AWR)
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Filing 1
COMPLAINT against Commissioner of Social Security, filed by Benjamin Carter.(AWR)
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NOTICE of Social Security Complaint filed. Commissioner of Social Security answer due on 10/14/2025. (AWR)
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