Drug companies back effort to remove judge from federal lawsuit

[babylonsister]

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/461414-drug-companies-back-effort-to-remove-judge-from-federal-lawsuit


Drug companies back effort to remove judge from federal lawsuit
By Rachel Frazin - 09/14/19 11:38 AM EDT


Lawyers for drug companies and pharmacies have expressed support for removing a federal judge who has been overseeing lawsuits against the companies over their alleged role in the opioid crisis.

In court documents filed Saturday, the companies questioned whether U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland was impartial because he has encouraged both sides to settle.

"Taken as a whole and viewed objectively, the record clearly demonstrates that recusal is necessary," the lawyers wrote.

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Polster "has been held in the highest regard for decades on the Federal bench as a judge with great integrity, intelligence, and impartiality," attorneys Paul Hanly Jr., Paul Farrell Jr. and Joe Rice said in the statement.

"This is simply a desperate move on the eve of trial by opioid companies that created, fueled and sustained the crisis following rulings by the court concluding that there is sufficient evidence to find that these companies created a public nuisance and conspired together to avoid regulation and sanctions," the lawyers added. "It’s past time that they stop trying to avoid accountability and face judgment."

This week, Purdue Pharma, a prominent opioid manufacturer, also reached a multibillion-dollar tentative settlement with state and local governments over its alleged role in the opioid epidemic.