Judge rules pretrial against opioid firm; cites delays, lies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge has made a rare move to rule against an opioid firm before a civil trial over its role in the epidemic, saying there was a “coordinated strategy” by the company and its attorneys to delay proceedings, deprive plaintiffs of information and interfere with the administration of justice.

In Sullivan County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Chancellor E.G. Moody entered the default judgment against Endo Pharmaceuticals, saying the company willfully withheld records during legal discovery to gain an edge at trial. In the ruling, the judge cited a dozen falsehoods from Endo's legal team as the case played out.

The ruling finds the company liable and sends the case right to a trial over damages.

“Although this is a harsh sanction, justice demands it under the circumstances,” Moody wrote. “Anything less would make a mockery of the attorneys who play by the rules and the legal system.”

The company indicated Wednesday that it plans to appeal the judge's orders in the case, calling them “procedurally, factually, and legally deficient.”

The plaintiffs have sued for $2.4 billion. The judge wrote they have “expert testimony that supports that amount.”

“We look forward to putting our $2.4 billion damage case to a jury and ultimately seeing funds returned directly to these small communities, which have borne the brunt of Endo’s focus on financial gain,” said Gerard Stranch, managing partner of the firm representing the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs of the 2017 lawsuit include three northeastern Tennessee district attorneys as well as a baby born addicted to opioids who is referred to as Baby Doe.

Endo, which has a U.S. headquarters in Pennsylvania, is the last remaining active corporate defendant after Mallinckrodt and Purdue...