Martinez v. Astrue

Plaintiff appealed the administrative law judge's ("ALJ") denial of his application for supplemental security income alleging that he became disabled beginning in March 20, 2005 due to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. At issue was whether the factual findings were supported by substantial evidence and whether the correct legal standards were applied. The court held that the ALJ did not follow the law in evaluating all the medical evidence from a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed professional counselor, and a physician who diagnosed plaintiff with schizoaffective disorder. The court also held that the ALJ failed to apply the correct legal standards in assessing plaintiff's credibility, and alternatively, the ALJ's adverse credibility determination was not supported by substantial evidence.