Page 7 - David Ackerman News Today

CHARLESTON – Three of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distribution companies pushed for a trial dismissal as the plaintiffs wrapped up their case at the bellwether federal opioid trial. During a day of motions July 1, the drug distributors maintained the plaintiffs continuously have failed to give substantial evidence of misconduct.  The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued the distribution companies –AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp – in 2017, seeking the ...

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams (left) leaves the courthouse with City Communications Director Bryan Chambers and attorney Rusty Webb. | Photo by Brittany Hively CHARLESTON – Wrapping up the plaintiffs case, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams provided emotional testimony detailing his experience in handling the opioid epidemic. “We had individuals saying we were the epicenter of the opioid epidemic and that smacked me in the center,” Williams said during his sometimes...

shutterstock.com CHARLESTON – An abatement expert says the total cost for such a plan for Cabell County and Huntington to deal with the opioid epidemic would be at least $2.5 billion. On June 28, attorney Anthony Majestro, representing Cabell County, called George A. Barrett, an expert witness in the field of forensic economics. Barrett said he was asked to calculate the value of total cost of an abatement plan being composed by a group of epidemiologists. That cost wo...

CHARLESTON – Testifying in the bellwether opioid trial, a expert witness on pharmaceutical-related abatement programs said he does not believe Cabell County has sufficient treatment programs to fight the opioid epidemic.   The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued three of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp. – in 2017 claiming the companies are largely responsible for fueling the current opioid epidemic ...

CHARLESTON – An expert epidemio​​​​logist who analyzed Cabell County and West Virginia overdose data to show opioid trends in death rates soared from 2001 to 2017.

CHARLESTON — Fingers were pointed and blame was thrown all around a federal courtroom as a retired Drug Enforcement Administration official and attorneys for three drug distributors butted heads for a second full day of testimony. Joe Rannazzisi, the former director of the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, was under cross-examination for the entirety of June 9’s testimony by attorneys for AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. Huntington and Cabell County sued the nations three...

CHARLESTON — Fingers were pointed and blame was thrown all around a federal courtroom as a retired Drug Enforcement Administration official and attorneys for three drug distributors butted heads for a second full day of testimony.

CHARLESTON – A key former Drug Enforcement Administration official spent the day on the witness stand giving testimony between objections, legal limitations and frustrations.

Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle CHARLESTON – At the landmark federal opioid trial, Cabell County Sherriff Chuck Zerkle testified being directly involved in Huntington, once deemed “epicenter of the opioid crisis,” has evolved.  During his testimony May 27, Zerkle said he wanted to make a difference and to help combat issues he believes are harming the community. “One of the reasons I ran for sheriff was I felt I could make a difference in our community,” sa...

CHARLESTON – As the landmark federal opioid trial concluded its fourth week, attorneys for Cardinal Health probed an addiction science professor from Marshall University about recovery programs and estimated costs.  The City of Huntington and the Cabell County Commission sued three of the nation’s top pharmaceutical distribution companies – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson – in 2017 seeking compensation over claims the companies helped fuel the opioid epidemic by sending...