Supreme Court Halts $6B Opioid Settlement, Denying Sackler Family Immunity

The Supreme Court has blocked Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy proceedings, which included a $6 billion settlement that would have granted the Sackler family immunity from opioid-related civil claims. The court has agreed to hear arguments in December. The settlement, initially agreed upon in March, would have allowed the Sacklers to contribute to Purdue's reorganization fund in exchange for release from civil liability. The government has called the plan "unprecedented" and an "abuse of the bankruptcy system." Several states, including Ohio, expressed disappointment with the court's decision to pause the settlement.