Judge Thad Balkman listens during opening arguments for the state of Oklahoma Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Norman, Okla., as the nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis begins in Oklahoma. At right is a slide from the state's presentation shown on a monitor. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - The nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis started Tuesday in Oklahoma in a case that could shape negotiations to resolve the roughly 1,500 other opioid lawsuits consolidated before a federal judge.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter started opening statements by saying powerful painkillers have led to the "worst manmade public health crisis" in U.S. history. The state alleges drugmakers extensively marketed highly addictive opioids for years in a way that overstated their effectiveness and underplayed the risk of addiction.
"This crisis is devastating Oklahoma," Hunter said, adding that opioid overdoses killed 4,653 people in the state from 2007 to 2017.
Drugmakers deny Oklahoma's claims. The companies maintain that they are part of a lawful and heavily regulated industry that is subject to strict federal oversight, and that doctors are the ones who prescribe the drugs. Much of the opioid crisis, they argue, is the result of illegal activity, such as drugs being stolen or obtained fraudulently.
Lawyers for consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson and several subsidiaries, which produced opioid drugs including Nucynta and the fentanyl patch Duragesic, were expected to start making their case later Tuesday. Two other companies, OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceuticals, have already settled with Oklahoma.
The trial could bring to light documents and testimony that show what the companies knew, when they knew it and how they responded.
A federal judge in Ohio is overseeing the 1,500 consolidated opioid lawsuits filed by state, local and tribal governments.
Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman, not a jury, will decide the case. He is allowing cameras in the courtroom, which is a rarity in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks during opening arguments Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Norman, Okla., as the nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis begins. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter arrives at the courtroom Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Norman, Okla., as the nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis begins in Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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Larry Ottaway, one of the attorneys for Johnson & Johnson, listens during the state's opening arguments Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Norman, Okla., as the nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis begins in Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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State's attorney Brad Beckworth speaks during the opening statements of the opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The proceeding are the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drug companies accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, Pool)
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State's attorney Brad Beckworth speaks during the opening statements during the opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The proceeding are the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drug companies accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, Pool)
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Attorney General Mike Hunter walks into the courtroom before the start of the Oklahoma v. Purdue Pharma opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla. on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The proceeding are the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drug companies accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. [Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, Pool)
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Members of the public listen in to opening statements during the opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The proceeding are the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drug companies accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, Pool)
The Associated Press
State's attorney Brad Beckworth speaks during the opening statements during the opioid trial at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The proceeding are the first public trial to emerge from roughly 2,000 U.S. lawsuits aimed at holding drug companies accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, Pool)
The Associated Press