Last week, Montana achieved an important victory when a federal judge in Ohio remanded the lawsuit against Purdue Pharma from federal court and returned it to courts in Montana.

Attorney General Tim Fox explained why the lawsuit needed to be removed from federal jurisdiction.

“We filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in February of this year which prompted attorneys for Purdue Pharma to ask the judge to remove the case from state district court where we had originally filed it here in Helena to federal district court where it was then removed to an out of state federal court,” said Fox.

Fox said the lawsuit needed to be returned to state authority, because of the harm suffered by the people of Montana.

“This is a claim that’s unique to Montana,” he said. “We want a Montana judge determining just what relief should be awarded to the State of Montana. We’re seeking both monetary relief to address the effects of these painkillers on Montanans, but also injunctive relief going forward to prohibit this company from engaging in their deceptive marketing practices in the future.”

With the case back in Lewis and Clark County District Court of Judge Mike Menahan, Montana’s original request for a preliminary injunction is once again pending.

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