U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
Recent News About U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
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Morriey asks Ohio federal judge for clarification on state law regarding opioid cases
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster, who is overseeing the multidistrict litigation for the opioid crisis asking him to explain when West Virginia’s law applies in lawsuits brought by municipalities against health care providers. -
Judge refuses mistrial in key opioid case despite jury shenanigans
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - The judge overseeing a landmark opioid lawsuit against the nation’s largest pharmacy chains refused to declare a mistrial after a juror performed her own research on a topic plaintiff lawyers raised in cross-examination and shared her results with the rest of the jury. -
Opioid judge threatens to abandon MDL process for pharmacies if they don't settle
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - The judge overseeing federal multidistrict opioid litigation said a proposed bellwether trial against Walmart, Walgreens and other pharmacy chains is going off the rails and he might suspend the whole process, sending thousands of cases back to the courts where they originated. -
Opioid judge threatens pharmacies with bankruptcy if they don't settle
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - As multidistrict litigation swamps federal courts, the judge overseeing the multibillion-dollar opioid MDL demonstrated why plaintiff lawyers love the strategy so much: Because it is extremely effective at extracting settlements from the companies they sue. -
Opioid judge has second thoughts, rejects class of drug-addicted infants
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - The federal judge who approved a nationwide class of plaintiffs to try to settle opioid litigation appears to have had a change of heart when it comes to a nationwide class of parents caring for children who were born addicted to narcotics. -
Lawyers leading opioid litigation to negotiate their payday; Judge rejects request for 7%
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Saying it is almost inevitable they will negotiate their own slice of a multibillion-dollar settlement before it is done, the judge overseeing federal multidistrict opioid litigation refused to order the parties to set aside a set percentage to pay the fees of plaintiff lawyers leading the MDL. -
Federal judge officially asks for Cabell, Huntington opioid cases to be sent back to W.Va.
CLEVELAND – The federal judge overseeing the national opioid litigation has requested the cases filed by Cabell County and Huntington be remanded back to West Virginia federal courts and is asking for the ruling to be expedited. -
Cabell, Huntington opioid cases one step closer to being sent back to West Virginia
CLEVELAND – The cases filed by Cabell County and the City of Huntington against opioid distributors are one step closer to be being heard in a West Virginia federal court. -
Belle retains Charleston attorney in fight against opioids
CHARLESTON – The town of Belle has hired Charleston attorney Rusty Webb to represent it in litigation involving the opioid epidemic plaguing the state. -
'Absolute panic' as cities, counties face deadline on opioid 'negotiation class'
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Cities and counties are worried and confused as they face a November deadline to join or opt out of an unprecedented “negotiation class” that could determine how much money they get from opioid litigation, a lawyer who represents Texas municipalities said. -
Clarksburg hires Webb for opioid litigation representation
CHARLESTON – The city of Clarksburg has hired Charleston attorney Rusty Webb to represent it in litigation involving the opioid epidemic plaguing the state. -
Sixth Circuit seeks answers from judge as states try to derail opioid bellwether trial
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) – The judge overseeing nearly 2,000 opioid lawsuits must address concerns that the cases over which he is presiding are an improper power grab by plaintiffs lawyers who signed up cities and counties as clients. -
Jurors won't get confused during huge opioid trial, judge rules; He'll set penalties after
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) – A jury will determine who, if anyone, is liable for the nation’s addiction crisis, but the judge overseeing a historic trial will decide how much they would pay. -
Opioid judge approves `negotiation class’ over objections of state AGs and defendants
In a move that appeared preordained after his comments at an August hearing, U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster approved an unprecedented “negotiation class” of every city and county nationwide to try and reach a global settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors. -
Ohio AG slams 'power grab' of private lawyers pushing the opioid litigation
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Stepping forcefully into a debate that has been brewing since private lawyers first started recruiting local governments to sue the opioid industry, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the National Association of Attorneys General have urged the federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation to reject a proposed “negotiation class” consisting of every city and county in the country. -
Opioid judge rejects dismissal plea, orders first lawsuits to trial
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Opioid manufacturers and distributors lost their long-shot bid to end more than 1,000 lawsuits against them as the federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation rejected their motions to dismiss and ordered the first cases to trial next year. -
Two more opioid suits transferred to federal court in Ohio
CHARLESTON — Two more lawsuits filed against pharmaceutical companies have been transferred to Ohio federal court to be included with a slew of lawsuits known as the National Prescription Opiate Litigation. -
Opioid plaintiffs: A small percentage of pill shipments were 'suspicious.' Or maybe it's nearly all of them
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Forced to identify opioid prescriptions they say were “suspicious” and never should have been shipped, Ohio cities and counties came up with a rough estimate. Very rough. -
Cleveland, Akron will try to prove opioid cases without a single bogus prescription
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Plaintiffs in bellwether trials blaming the opioid industry for the nation's addiction crisis have allowed a Monday deadline to pass, apparently without turning over any proof of specific prescriptions that were made in error. -
Opioid lawsuits should proceed, magistrate tells MDL judge
A magistrate judge recommended that a bellwether trial against the opioid industry proceed, rejecting nearly all the arguments presented by manufacturers, distributors and retailers in their motions to dismiss hundreds of lawsuits accusing them of causing a national crisis.