CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — A landmark trial targeting multiple opioid manufacturers and distributors opened Tuesday with lawyers for the government accusing the companies of bringing death and destruction to communities. The case bought by Suffolk and Nassau counties and state Attorney General Letitia James is part of a slew of litigation over an epidemic linked to nearly 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. But this case is unique in targeting the entire opioid supply chain and for being tried in front of a jury, instead of a judge. The case is being heard in a law school auditorium to accommodate the multiple defendants and their lawyers.
FILE – This June 17, 2019, file photo shows 5-mg pills of Oxycodone. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
