WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Major drug wholesalers and retailers facing a massive lawsuit for allegedly fostering the nation’s opioid crisis asked the judge hearing the case to recuse himself on Saturday.

The companies argued in a court filing that U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, who is hearing the case in a federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, had made statements in court indicating that he was not impartial in the case and improperly pushed the companies to settle without going to trial.

The companies said that Judge Polster had also made improper public comments about the case, including to reporters.

Opioids were involved in 400,000 overdose deaths from 1999 to 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the filing, the companies noted that plaintiffs had sought $8 billion. Defendants in the case include McKesson Corp (MCK.N), AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC.N), Walgreen Co and Walmart Inc (WMT.N).

“Defendants do not bring this motion lightly. Taken as a whole and viewed objectively, the record clearly demonstrates that recusal is necessary,” the companies said in a court filing on Saturday.

In particular, the companies said that on Jan. 9, 2018, in the first hearing, Polster said that the country was in the grips of an “opioid crisis,” adding “150 Americans are going to die today, just today, while we’re meeting.”

“(E)veryone shares some of the responsibility, and no one has done enough to abate it,” he said, including “the manufacturers, the distributors, the pharmacies, the doctors, the federal government and state government, local governments (and) hospitals.

“My objective is to do something meaningful to abate this crisis,” he said at the hearing, according to the filing.

The request for recusal comes days after Judge Polster approved the substance of a proposal by lawyers representing cities and counties suing drug companies over the U.S. opioid epidemic that would bring every state and municipality in the country into their settlement talks.

The proposal, part of litigation consolidating about 2,000 lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, retailers and others seeking damages for the epidemic, calls for creating a class of up to 3,000 counties and 30,000 cities, towns and villages that could vote on whether to accept any settlement the plaintiffs reach with the defendants.

Any proposed settlement would need to win support of at least 75 percent of class members to be approved.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________

[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials

“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.

Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. ______________________________________________________________________