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U.S. NEWS Saturday 30 april 2022
Federal judges are asked to pave way for Purdue Pharma deal

By GEOFF MULVIHILL cuit rules on the case, an
Associated Press appeal to the U.S. Supreme
Lawyers for OxyContin Court is possible. If Purdue
maker Purdue Pharma and and its allies win, they still
many of those who had must go back to the bank-
claims against the com- ruptcy judge to get the lat-
pany over the toll of opi- est version of the deal ap-
oids joined together Friday proved.
to urge a federal judicial Under the planned deal,
panel to allow a plan that Sackler family members
would settle lawsuits across would contribute $5.5 bil-
the country. lion to $6 billion over time,
The legal question facing plus give up ownership
the judges from the 2nd of the company. Purdue
U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- would then become a new
peals in New York: Does a entity known as Knoa Phar-
bankruptcy judge have the ma that would dedicate
authority to grant members its profits to fighting the na-
of the Sackler family who tion's opioid epidemic.
own the company protec- Most of the Sacklers' money
tion from civil lawsuits over also would go to fighting
the toll of opioids? the epidemic, but at least
Sackler family members A man looks at cardboard gravestones with the names of victims of opioid abuse outside the $750 million would be dis-
have insisted on the legal courthouse where the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy is taking place in White Plains, N.Y., Monday, tributed to some individual
shield in exchange for pro- Aug. 9, 2021. victims and their families.
viding the money behind Associated Press Other product-liability
the proposed settlement. cases have been settled
And as their offer was comply with any of the rules the country. move forward might not re- through bankruptcy court
boosted over more than of the bankruptcy code "The releases at issue are sult in more money to fight by using the sort of protec-
two years of negotiations and I don't need to con- not only important to the the opioid crisis — in part tions this deal would give
and mediation, most of the tribute all of my assets,'" Mi- plan, they are absolutely because most of the fam- the Sacklers. But opponents
parties came to support chael Shih, a lawyer for the essential," said Mitchell Hur- ily's wealth is in trusts, much of the settlement are chal-
the deal — including all the office, told a three-judge ley, a lawyer for the official of it overseas. lenging the strategy based
states. panel of the 2nd Circuit in a committee of unsecured "We are bringing in billions on the fact that a handful
But the U.S. Bankruptcy hearing Friday in New York creditors in Purdue's bank- and billions of dollars to of parties still object to the
Trustee's Office, an arm of City. "That's the fundamen- ruptcy case told the judg- save lives," Huebner told deal.
the Justice Department, tal inconsistency here." es. the court. Almost all the governments
has continued pushing Lawyers for Purdue and Purdue lawyer Marshall All three judges asked and other entities that origi-
back, asserting it's improp- others who support the set- Huebner pointed out that pointed questions on the nally sued Purdue have
er to provide a legal shield tlement said that the pro- unlike other parties, the positions of both Huebner agreed to the settlement.
for members of the wealthy tections for Sackler family Bankruptcy Trustee's of- and Shih. Besides the bankruptcy
family who have not them- members would be limited fice and federal govern- The 2nd Circuit judges did trustee, the only official ob-
selves filed for bankruptcy to cases involving opioids ment are not in line to re- not indicate when they jectors left are Canadian
protection. and are needed to get a ceive any money from the would rule, but it often local governments and First
"A non-debtor says: 'I can fair outcome, rather than settlement. He told the takes weeks or months af- Nations, and two mothers
get the benefit of a dis- seeing the fight continue judges that allowing law- ter a hearing. of sons who died of opioid
charge but I don't need to through many trials all over suits against the Sacklers to No matter how the 2nd Cir- overdoses.q

NY to move some primaries to August after court tosses maps

By MARINA VILLENEUVE New York is set to separate- ity decision largely agreed
Associated Press ly hold gubernatorial and with Republican voters who
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New state Assembly primaries in argued the district bound-
York judge ordered Friday June, unless lawmakers or aries were unconstitution-
that the state's congres- Gov. Kathy Hochul decide ally gerrymandered.
sional and state Senate to delay. The ruling also dashed
primaries be delayed until New York once held con- Democrats' national re-
Aug. 23 to provide enough gressional and state of- districting hopes, which
time to replace district fice primaries on separate leaned heavily on their
maps that were ruled un- dates, but lawmakers in ability to gerrymander New
constitutional this week. 2019 consolidated them to York state to maximize the
State Judge Patrick McAl- save money, increase vot- number of seats they could
lister moved the primaries er turnout and make the win in the U.S. House of
back from their original process less confusing for Representatives.
date of June 28. He said the public. A state board of elections
the independent expert On Wednesday, New York's spokesperson said Thursday Judge Patrick McAllister listens to arguments during a hearing in
he tasked with helping him highest court rejected new the state had asked the court, Thursday, March, 31, 2022 in Bath, N.Y.
craft new maps, special congressional and state U.S. Justice Department if Associated Press
master Jonathan Cervas, senate maps that had a federal court might need
will finish drawing districts widely been seen as favor- to review any change to The spokesperson said Fri- into whether a review will
by May 20. ing Democrats. The major- the date of the primary. day they were still looking be required.q