By AZ Law
In an order this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Arizona cannot proceed with an unusual trial case in the nation’s highest court to try to retrieve $4B from the Sackler family to apply to lawsuits against Purdue Pharma, one of the largest opioid manufacturers.
Attorney General Mark Brnovich expressed his disappointment with the court’s order, and he indicated that he would “continue to fight for Arizona’s interests in the Purdue bankruptcy proceedings.” (See full statement to ‘AZ Law’.)
Arizona’s surprising approach to ask the Supreme Court to take original jurisdiction in order to set aside alleged fraudulent transfers of wealth from Purdue to the Sacklers has run into the bankruptcy case subsequently filed by Purdue Pharma.
Arizona answered Purdue by telling the court last month that it would be unconstitutional for the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay provisions to prevent the highest court from accepting original jurisdiction to handle a case like this. (See Reply Brief)
With a one-sentence order, the Supreme Court denied Arizona’s request.
