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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Thursday, June 27, 2024

The ruling clouds the future of a multibillion-dollar settlement for opioid epidemic victims but opens Purdue Pharma's founding family to hundreds of civil lawsuits.

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More: The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a hotly contested deal that shielded members of the billionaire Sackler family from civil lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic.

The decision, in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, clouds the future of a settlement that committed billions of dollars to victims of the opioid epidemic, but it opens up the possibility that the Sacklers, who own Purdue while it remains in bankruptcy limbo, would face a deeper reckoning. And it may spell broader changes for other major settlements that insulate individuals behind acts of corporate wrongdoing.

The justices split along unusual lines. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, joined by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Samuel Alito. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the dissent, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2024-06-27 10:29 AM | Reply

I think they got this right. The Sacklers controlled Purdue and they were heart of the problem. Why should they walk away with Billions made off creating the opioid epedemic?

#2 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-06-27 01:22 PM | Reply

Yeah the immunity deal they got was wrong. If this does anything other than remove the immunity it's a double edged sword. That settlement money is important.

#3 | Posted by qcp at 2024-06-27 01:32 PM | Reply

Clarence is gonna be living large this summer.

#4 | Posted by Nixon at 2024-06-27 01:34 PM | Reply

We're still pretending the opioid epidemic was caused by anything other than prohibition?

Folks, the DEA did this. There was NEVER a black market for fentanyl until the DEA started arresting doctors and making them afraid to properly prescribe pain control. But when the DEA started the crackdown, people who were previously properly medicated turned to the street, and the drugs got a LOT stronger. That's when all the dying started happening.

Sure, Purdue wasn't helping with the TV ads and the claim that Oxycontin wasn't potentially addictive. But that's not the cause, and the problem will NEVER end until prohibition ends.

#5 | Posted by DarkVader at 2024-06-28 07:58 AM | Reply

#5 | Posted by DarkVader

I am sorry but you are completely wrong on this. Blame the DEA all you want but what started the ball rolling was Purdue peddling Oxy as a non-addictive wonder drug. There was no opioid issue before doctors start prescribing Oxy like candy. Others even followed suit. Then when people were hooked and couldn't get it from their Doctors anymore it started getting peddled on the street. When Oxy became hard to get that's when other stuff took off. I won't debate prohibition plays a role but the actual cause was the Sacklers via Purdue peddling a highly addictive opioid as non-addicting.

#6 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-06-28 09:49 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Yay! SCOTUS got one right.

#7 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2024-06-28 02:53 PM | Reply

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