The federal judge overseeing thousands of opioid lawsuits faces a motion to recuse himself following accusations of ex parte communications he allegedly had with a lead plaintiffs’ attorney.
U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, of the Northern District of Ohio, should recuse himself because of his potential “impartiality” in handling accusations about ex parte communications with Peter Weinberger, of Cleveland’s Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, liaison counsel in the opioid multidistrict litigation, according to a motion filed Wednesday by lawyers for two pharmacy benefit managers that are defendants in opioid lawsuits.