PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Gavin Buckley
Public Information Office
160 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
For Immediate Release:
Media contact: Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or mwstephenson@annapolis.gov
City of Annapolis Opioid Lawsuit Information From Closed Session City Council Briefing
Annapolis, Maryland (September 24, 2019) – The Mayor of the City of Annapolis and the Annapolis City Council were briefed in closed session on the particulars of the lawsuit the City of Annapolis filed against opioid manufacturers.
In recent years, the City of Annapolis, like hundreds of municipalities and counties individually, sued pharmaceutical makers to recoup public safety costs surrounding an epidemic of addiction and drug overdoses.
The attorney representing the City told the Mayor and City Council in a closed session that the City has been included in a settlement class as certified by the federal court. Being included in the settlement class was not a decision made by the City, but rather by the court as it groups plaintiffs together in one federal court for a proposed settlement arrangement. Inclusion in this class was involuntary.
While there is no final offer pending, attorneys representing the City are considering whether to remain in or opt-out of the settlement class. The city has until November 22, 2019 to make a decision to remain in or opt-out of the settlement class.
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