Law

A federal appeals court on Thursday cleared the way for a landmark trial over the nation’s opioid crisis, rejecting a bid by eight drug retailers and distributors to disqualify the judge, and a request by Ohio and other U.S. states to delay an Oct. 21 trial.

CLEVELAND (AP) - A federal appeals court on Thursday denied two efforts that could have kept the first federal trial on the opioids crisis from starting as scheduled this month in Cleveland.

Johnson & Johnson and two Ohio counties have reached a tentative $20.4 million settlement that removes the corporation from the first federal lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, scheduled to begin later this month.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, who is overseeing the first federal opioid trial on Oct. 21, also wrote on Tuesday that the Ohio AG's petition before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit was based on a "faulty premise."

Two Ohio counties have asked a court to deny their state attorney general’s request to delay a major trial over the toll of opioids.

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it will pay $20.4 million to settle claims by two Ohio counties, allowing the U.S. healthcare giant to avoid an upcoming federal trial seeking to hold the industry responsible for the nation’s opioid epidemic.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio county commissioners say counties should have control of any settlement money derived from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ordered lead plaintiffs’ attorneys and U.S. District Judge Dan Polster to respond to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s petition for writ of mandamus seeking to halt the Oct. 21 trial over the opioid crisis.