BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County is slated to receive a portion of a nearly $98 million settlement related to the opioid crisis as part of the Six Remnant Defendants case, however the figure is likely much smaller than previous settlements. 

County Attorney Steve Button provided an update to legislators during the March 30 Finance Committee meeting, saying the settlement is based off of a formula that will allow St. Lawrence County to collect .018%. 

Button said based on the rough math that equates to about $20,000 for the county. 

"It would be, as I understand it, unrestricted," Button told legislators. 

Button said the county has been heavily involved in legislation through the law firm Simmons, Hanly, Conroy, P.C. as part of a class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, drug manufacturers, and distributors, including Purdue Pharma. 

County lawmakers agreed to a settlement with Purdue last year, which netted the county more than $4 million. Read more here. 

It all began in 2006 when the U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation into Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family for downplaying the effects of the opioids being produced and marketed by the corporation. 

Button said litigation was launched in 2006 by the U.S. DOJ against the corporation, a rare occurrence, that eventually led to major settlements in a criminal case. 

"There were actually criminal charges filed stemming from the federal investigation and evidence was deemed to clearly show that Purdue and the Sacklers misled prescribers and those in the industry regarding just how addictive these opioids were," Button said. 

He commented that evidence from the DOJ showed the Sacklers in particular were well aware of the addictive nature of the drugs and were the lynchpin of the criminal case. 

Civil suits soon followed, beginning in 2009 and 2010, allowing those personally affected to sue the companies who produced and distributed the drugs. 

"Since 2019 we're been engaged in opioid litigation and have secured a number of settlements over the course of the last five years," Button told legislators. 

Button said the smaller manufacturers played a central role in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of such drugs, but were found to be less culpable than Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers. 

The newest settlement with the Six Remnant Defendants is one of the key lawsuits against smaller companies involved in the multi-state, multi-district litigation, Bugton said. 

The defendants include a number of entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of opioids, primarily along the eastern seaboard, officials said. 

"The Remnant Defendants Settlement does not include State Attorneys General or any amount allocated to a State, but rather is distributed only and directly to any Eligible Entity that participates by signing and returning the Combined Subdivision Participation and Release Form by the deadline," officials said. 

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