A federal judge presiding over a historic civil lawsuit in Ohio against drug distributors, pharmacies and retailers for their roles in the opioid crisis yesterday denied a motion to step down on grounds he has shown bias, CNN.com reported. U.S. District Court Judge Dan Polster, who is hearing the case in Cleveland, questioned why lawyers for seven of 22 defendants waited more than 18 months to question his impartiality based on comments he made at hearings, media interviews and public forums. The landmark trial is set to begin next month. It combines nearly 2,000 cases involving cities, counties, communities and tribal lands, accusing opioid makers of causing the epidemic. The motion filed by the defendants earlier this month said Judge Polster pushed the companies to settle and that his public comments demonstrated bias and prejudice. The defendants maintained the judge participated in at least seven media interviews, including one in which he let a reporter trail him for a day, and made other public comments about the case. They argued the judge "expressed a strong personal conviction that his role is to strong-arm the parties into a settlement that will abate an ongoing opioid crisis, not just resolve the legal issues presented by the cases." Judge Polster wrote he has "simultaneously and vigorously" pursued resolution by both through trial and settlement. The federal judge said he has been careful to assign responsibility for the crisis to all sides, including defendants, plaintiffs, the federal government, the medical profession and even individual drug users.
