Jury selected for Baltimore's opioid lawsuit; opening statements set for Wednesday
Published in News & Features
A jury has been selected to preside over Baltimore’s lawsuit against two drug distribution companies that the city accused of delivering huge quantities of opioids here and fueling the opioid crisis.
The jury consists of six jurors and six alternates.
Jury selection spanned two days in Baltimore Circuit Court, with panels of prospective jurors summoned to a large courtroom.
There, they filled out a questionnaire probing their experiences with — and feelings about — opioids, among other topics. After completing the questionnaire, jurors were guided one at a time to a private room where they answered follow-up questions from the presiding judge and involved lawyers.
The trial is scheduled to run through early November, with Circuit Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill assuring jurors that the court would accommodate their prescheduled vacation and doctors appointments.
“We will honor those,” Fletcher-Hill said.
The city settled Monday with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson for an undisclosed amount of money, leaving just two defendants remaining in the sweeping lawsuit: distributors McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
Before the latest settlement, Baltimore had secured $402.5 million from settlements with various opioid companies.
Fletcher-Hill said opening statements in the case would come Wednesday. The trial will not take place Friday and possibly Thursday, he said.
Before the jury left, Fletcher-Hill swore in the jurors and took down their contact information. He instructed the jury to avoid media coverage of this case and the opioid epidemic generally. However, he asked jurors to tell him if they came across an article.
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