But they could still face criminal charges
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from opioid overdoses, many involving the prescription painkiller Oxycontin which was illegally promoted as non-addictive by its manufacturer, Purdue Pharma. Yesterday an appeals court upheld a bankruptcy deal to pay the release $6 billion in compensation for state and local governments including $750 million for individuals affected by the opioid epidemic. It will also shield members of the Sackler family, which owns Purdue, from further lawsuits. Cue outrage on the part of victims enraged that no Sacklers are in jail. Fair enough. But the deal doesn’t shield any of them from criminal prosecution. That fight is just beginning.
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