Closing arguments wrap up in Oklahoma's opioid trial against drugmakers
State prosecutors called Johnson & Johnson a "drug dealer," a "king pin" and "corrupt" during closing arguments in Oklahoma's trial of the opioid manufacturer.
Lawyers for both sides made their final cases Monday after seven weeks in court. Johnson & Johnson attorneys said the company acted responsibly and isn't responsible for Oklahoma's opioid epidemic.
"This company cut and ran," state lawyer Brad Beckworth said during his closing argument. "They took the money and they ran, and they left us here holding the body bags."
Beckworth and state prosecutors said Johnson & Johnson helped fuel the opioid epidemic by, in part, having sales representatives misrepresent to doctors how well drugs worked and what their addiction risk was. They claimed the drug company caused a public nuisance that it should help fix.
"They came in and aggressively told us that we needed to prescribe opioids for pain, and we did," lawyer Mike Burrage said. "And here we are. You heard it. That's what happened."
State prosecutors said solving the crisis will cost more than $17.5 billion over 30 years.
Johnson & Johnson's lawyers said the company shouldn't be on the hook, arguing that it was selling heavily regulated, legal drugs.
"Only a company that believes it's innocent would defend itself from an action brought by a state on behalf of the state to benefit the state to be decided by a man working for the state sitting under the state seal, but we've taken that challenge on because we believe we're right," lawyer Larry Ottaway said.
Judge Thad Balkman said he'll review the evidence and testimony for at least a month before deciding on a verdict.