John Sammon News
Judge dismisses motion by opioid distributor defendants, trial continues as defense makes case in Washington State
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott on Tuesday rejected a bid to toss out a case by lawyers defending three of the country’s biggest opioid drug distributors, accused of causing an epidemic in Washington State.
Opioid distributors say illegal drug use was cause of deadly epidemic, ask judge presiding in four-month long trial to dismiss
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys defending three of the country’s biggest opioid drug distributors presented motions on Monday asking the King County Superior Court to dismiss a case alleging the companies caused an overdose epidemic in Washington State.
Washington State rests its case; Defendants move for dismissal in trial alleging companies caused opioid overdose epidemic
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - After attorneys for Washington State rested their case on Tuesday accusing three of the country's biggest opioid drug distributors of causing an overdose epidemic, attorneys for the defense moved to dismiss the case, including public nuisance allegations and alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act.
Clinic director tells courtroom opioid treatment professionals suffer compassion fatigue from epidemic
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - The executive director of a treatment clinic for addicted opioid users said her staffers were overwhelmed by an epidemic of drug abuse to the point they became burned out and suffered from compassion fatigue.
Native tribe opioid settlement in focus at ongoing Washington State trial
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - An abatement plan to deal with an opioid drug overdose crisis was discussed Tuesday in the King County Superior Court trial of three major drug distributors, and the possible impact of a settlement with native tribes.
Big Oil squares off against Honolulu in quest for federal court jurisdiction
HONOLULU (Legal Newsline) - Arguments were heard Thursday at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a lawsuit that pits the City of Honolulu and the Island County of Maui against oil and gas companies, alleging the companies bear responsibility for degrading Hawaii’s environment from fossil fuels production and promotion.
Defense attorneys for opioid distributors attempt to show companies not responsible for doctor prescriptions
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Defense attorneys for three of the country’s biggest distributors of opioids disputed the testimony of a marketing expert witness called by Washington State, saying the companies did not cause a drug overdose epidemic.
Minnesota Senate advances bill limiting hiring of outside attorneys by state AG's office
ST. PAUL (Legal Newsline) - The Minnesota State Senate on Wednesday advanced a bill designed to limit the hiring by the Attorney General’s office of outside attorneys who could be politically motivated by the nonprofits and agencies that provide them.
Child welfare social worker tells court infant health endangered, services under strain from opioid epidemic
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A specialist witness called by the State of Washington on Thursday said children’s health in the state is being damaged and child welfare services overwhelmed by an epidemic of opioid abuse.
Opioid researcher says pills oversupply caused epidemic; defense attorneys say illicit use the cause
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - An addiction expert witness called by the State of Washington said that a massive over supply of opioid pills in the early 2000s is linked with heroin use and caused an overdose epidemic in the state.
Washington State says distributors caused opioid epidemic, defense attorneys say heroin abuse caused it
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys for the State of Washington argue that an overdose epidemic of opioids called the worst in the state’s history was a result of reckless distribution of the drugs by three accused companies, while their defense attorneys maintain it was societal over-pain-medicating by doctors and illegal use of heroin in the 1990s that fueled it.
Defense lawyers attempt to display due diligence in Washington State trial against opioid drug distributors
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Defense attorneys for three of the country’s top distributors of opioid drugs accused of starting an overdose epidemic in Washington State attempted on Tuesday to show the companies had done everything possible to prevent illegal drug diversion.
Trial resumes in case against Washington State opioid distributors accused of causing overdose epidemic
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Trial resumed Monday in a lawsuit filed by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office against three of the country’s top opioid drug distributors, accusing them of causing an overdose epidemic by oversupplying drugs, and operating ineffective anti-diversion programs.
Justice says AG's argument for withholding climate litigation communication: 'makes no sense to me, zero'
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments last Wednesday in a lawsuit alleging that the office of State Attorney General Keith Ellison improperly concealed from the public communications with out-of-state climate activists and AG offices.
Washington State opioid trial put on hold for two weeks; state says routine break time
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - A trial in Washington State in which three of the country’s biggest distributors of opioid drugs stand accused of causing an overdose epidemic had been postponed until Jan. 24, but a representative of the Attorney General's office called the pause "routine."
Defense attorneys say opioid companies performed due diligence in efforts to prevent drug misuse
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys defending three of the country’s biggest distributors of opioid drugs tried to undermine the testimony of a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official, while portraying their clients as innocent of causing an overdose epidemic in Washington State.
Former DEA officer, now plaintiff expert, says distributors did not stop drug diversions
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - A former officer of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during testimony on Monday through Wednesday told a courtroom in Seattle three of the country’s biggest distributors of opioid drugs made an insufficient effort to stop recklessly selling the drugs that led to an overdose epidemic.
Attorneys in Washington opioid trial spar over testimony of data analyst
Attorneys for the State of Washington and those defending three of the country’s biggest opioid pill distributors sparred this week over figures showing that drug ordering took a big jump around the year 2006.
Washington opioid trial: State introduces distributor's internal 'pillbillies' memo mocking addicts
Inter-office memos in 2012 issued by officials of AmerisourceBergen, one of three distributors of opioid pills accused of irresponsibly flooding the drug market for profit and causing an overdose epidemic, used humor that some have described as cruel.
Washington State opioid trial: Defense says companies showed good faith, state says small group is big harm
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Defense attorneys on Tuesday sought to portray their clients, three of the biggest distributors of opioid drugs in the U.S., as taking appropriate steps in the early 2000s through 2014 to safeguard the public by establishing in-house systems to check suspicious drug orders.