6th Cir. Refuses to Disqualify Opioid MDL Judge; Bellwether Trial to Proceed as Scheduled

CLEVELAND — The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has refused to disqualify the Ohio federal judge overseeing the opioid multidistrict litigation, rejecting the defendant drug makers’ argument that his statements concerning a personal objective to abate the opioid crisis via settlements is evidence of partiality.

In an Oct. 10 order, the appellate court said it is not convinced that statements made by Judge Dan Polster of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio “constituted a clear error of judgment.”

“While we may not have chosen to make the statements, grant the interviews, or participate in the …