On July 8, 2019, Oklahoma District Judge Thad Balkman denied Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) request to dismiss the opioid lawsuit due to lack of evidence.
A motion was filed last week by J&J to seek dismissal of the lawsuit claiming that the state failed to produce enough evidence to support its case. Both the parties were given an hour before the decision was rendered. J&J's lawyers said the nuisance law in the state did not apply, while the attorneys representing the state said that the defendants and their attorneys acted in a reprehensible manner.
According to Judge Balkman, the trial that began seven weeks ago, should continue and is expected to go on until late this month. Considering the evidence presented by the State, the judge determined there is sufficient evidence against the defendants, hence denied the motion for directed judgment.
Opioid lawsuits are consolidated under MDL No. 2804 (In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation) which is presided by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster.
