Howard v. O'Malley

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
HOUSTON DIVISION
KATRINA DEARNE HOWARD,
Plaintiff,
VS.
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CIVIL ACTION NO. 4:24-CV-04730
MARTIN O'MALLEY,
Defendant.
ORDER ADOPTING MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S
MEMORANDUM AND RECOMMENDATION
On December 3, 2024, all pretrial matters in this case were referred to United States
Magistrate Judge Yvonne Y. Ho under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). (Dkt. 3). Judge Ho filed a
Memorandum and Recommendations on February 26, 2026, recommending that Plaintiff’s
Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 15) be denied and the Commissioner of Social
Security’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 19) be granted. (Dkt. 20)
On March 12, 2026, Plaintiff filed her objections. (Dkt. 21). In accordance with
28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), this Court is required to “make a de novo determination of those
portions 	of 	the 	[magistrate 	judge’s] 	report 	or 	specified 	proposed 	findings 	or
recommendations to which objection [has been] made.” After conducting this de novo
review, the Court may “accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or
recommendations made by the magistrate judge.” Id.; see also F ED. R. C IV. P. 72(b)(3).
The 	Court 	has 	carefully 	considered 	the 	objections, 	the 	Memorandum 	and
Recommendation, the pleadings, and the record. Plaintiff’s objections (Dkt. 21) are
United States District Court
Southern District of Texas
ENTERED
March 26, 2026
Nathan Ochsner, Clerk
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OVERRULED. The Court ACCEPTS Judge Ho’s Memorandum and Recommendations
(Dkt. 20) and ADOPTS it as the opinion of the Court. It is therefore ORDERED that:
(1) 	Judge Ho’s Memorandum and Recommendations (Dkt. 20) is APPROVED
AND ADOPTED in its entirety as the holding of the Court;
(2) 	Plaintiff’s Motion (Dkt. 15) is DENIED;
(3) 	the Commissioner of Social Security’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt.
19) is GRANTED; and
(4) 	the Commissioner of Social Security’s decision is AFFIRMED.
It is so ORDERED.
SIGNED at Houston, Texas on March 26, 2026.
_______________________________
GEORGE C. HANKS, JR.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Case 4:24-cv-04730 Document 22 Filed 03/26/26 in TXSD Page 2 of 2