Counties' opioid lawsuit amended, will be re-filed

A lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including Cape Girardeau County as a plaintiff, will be re-filed next month.

Attorney Jack Garvey with St. Louis-based law firm Carey Danis & Lowe spoke at Thursday's regular county commission meeting, and said the civil suit will be re-filed in mid-January, probably by the 18th, in state court in St. Louis.

Two cities and 18 counties, including Cape Girardeau County, are included as plaintiffs in the suit, Garvey said.

Garvey said the suit was amended to include statutory language spelling out a county's authority to bring a lawsuit.

"We kept 98 percent of the [original suit's] language," Garvey said.

According to online court records, the original lawsuit was filed in state court in August, then transferred to federal court. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the suit Nov. 11.

That suit included 10 Missouri counties and the city of Joplin as plaintiffs suing pharmaceutical companies over the opioid epidemic.

The suit sought damages for "reimbursement of public costs expended fighting this opioid epidemic and a claim for future costs" in efforts to address the problem.

Named as defendants in the 274-page civil suit were 49 manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and prescription benefit managers of opioids.

The suit had claimed the defendants misled communities, doctors and residents about opioids by claiming they were the proper treatment for chronic pain and they were not addictive.

In other action

• County Collector Barbara Gholson reported the state audit of her office, mandated by law when a new auditor steps in, is underway. She anticipates meeting with them again in mid-January, she said.

Gholson was appointed county collector after former Collector Diane Diebold resigned Nov. 30. Gholson was elected to the position in the Nov. 6 general election, but would not have taken office until March.

• Commissioner Paul Koeper gave an update on the $18 million Justice Center construction project, now underway on Highway 61 adjacent to the existing Sheriff's office.

About 50 percent of the project's footings have been drilled, Koeper said.

Koeper added the newly-constructed parking lot north of the construction site was nearly complete -- permanent lights were being installed Thursday.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630