March 15, 2016: STAT files a legal motion in Kentucky, asking a judge to unseal documents that could provide new information on how Purdue Phrama marketed OxyContin.
May 11, 2016: Pike County Circuit Judge Steven Combs orders the records to be made public. Purdue files an appeal a few days later, putting a hold on the release of the documents.
June 26, 2017: The Kentucky Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in the case. STAT argues that trial courts in Kentucky have great discretion to open their files and that this is a matter of enormous public interest. Purdue’s lawyer argues there is no common right of law “to pry into affairs of individual litigants.”
Dec. 14, 2018: The Court of Appeals rules in favor of STAT.
Aug. 26, 2019: The Kentucky Supreme Court denies Purdue’s request to review the lower court rulings, clearing the way for release of the sealed records.
Nov. 19, 2019: Judge Combs issues a final order to release the files “due to public interest.” More than 1,000 pages are unsealed.
About the Author Reprints
