Attorney General, district attorneys at odds over $1 billion opioid settlement

District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.

District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.

STATE SHOULD ACCEPT THAT MONEY. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER PAUL VAN OSDOL SPOKE WITH ATTORYNE GENERAL JOSH SHAPIRO IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. REPORTER: ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH SHAPIRO WAS HERE AT GREENBRIAR TREATMENT CENTER SUPPORTING A BILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH DRUG MAKERS AND DISTRIBUTORS TO RESPOND TO THE OPIOID CRISIS. BUT LAWSUITS FILED BY THE D-AS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY AND PHILADELPHIA SAY THAT IS N ENOUGH. >> SADLY WE ARE LOSING 14 PENNSYLVANIANS EVERY SINGLE DAY DUE TO THIS HEROIN, FENTAN AYLND OPIOID CRISIS. REPORTER: BUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS HELP IS ON THE WAY $232 MILLION NEXT YEAR IN THE FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING FROM THE BILLION LLDOAR SETTLEMENT. THE CEO OF GREENBRIAR TREATMENT CENTER SAYS THEY DESPERATELY NEED MORE FUNDING. ( {WE NEED MORE STAFF. WE NEED MORE THERAPISTS. WE ND EEMORE NURSES AND NURSES ARE HARD TO FIND RIGHT NOW.} REPORTER: BUT THIS LETTER FMRO ALGHLEENY COUNTY DA STEPHEN ZAPPALA FILED AS PART A LAWSUIT CALLS THE SETTLEMENT A SHAM. ZAPPALA SAYS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THAT LOCAL GOVERNNTMES WILL GET ANY MEANINGFUL RELIEF FROM THE SETTLEMENT. ACTION NEWS INVESTIGAT AEDES SHAPIRO ABOUT THE DA’S CONCERNS. >> NEITHER ALLEGHE NNYOR PHILADELPHIA EVEN HAVE A COURT DATE. THEY ARE YEARS ANDEA YRS AND YEARS AWAY FROM HAVING A COURT DATE. REPORTER: BY THE TIME THEY GOO T COURT, SHAPIRO SAYS THE DRUG DISTRIBUTORS COULD BE BANKRUPT. >> THE NET EFFECT OF ALL THAT IS YEARS WOULD GO BY AND THEY WOULD LIKELY END UP WITH NOTHI.NG REPORTER: IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE SETTLEMENT OR TRY TO PURSUE MORE TONIR OWN. IN NORTH STRABANE, PAUL VAN OSDOL PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEW

Attorney General, district attorneys at odds over $1 billion opioid settlement

District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.

Pennsylvania is slated to receive about $1 billion from a settlement with drug distributors over the opioid crisis.But there is a major dispute among the state's top prosecutors over whether to accept that money or go to court to seek more.District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.Shapiro, during an appearance at Greenbriar Treatment Center in Washington County, said the state needs the money now to help with treatment. Greenbriar CEO Mary Banaszak said they desperately need more funding."We need more staff. We need more therapists. We need more nurses and nurses are hard to find right now," Banaszak said.But a letter from Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala filed as part of a lawsuit calls the settlement a "sham that should not prolong coordination of the pending actions or otherwise prohibit my office from moving forward with its cases on behalf of the residents of Allegheny County."Zappala also said the settlement offers "absolutely no guarantee that local governments will get any meaningful relief, even if all local governments opt into the deal."Zappala's lawsuit said Allegheny County would get as little as $2 million per year from the settlement, which falls far short of its needs.Shapiro said Allegheny County and Philadelphia would take a major risk by opting out of the settlement."Neither Allegheny nor Philadelphia even have a court date. They are years and years and years away from having a court date," Shapiro said.By the time they go to court, Shapiro said the drug distributors who are defendants in the case could be bankrupt. "The net effect of all that is years would go by and they would likely end up with nothing," he said.Counties and municipalities have until late December to decide whether to be part of the settlement. In a statement, Allegheny County Solicitor Andy Szefi said, "We plan on participating and are currently in discussions regarding the settlement."

NORTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. —

Pennsylvania is slated to receive about $1 billion from a settlement with drug distributors over the opioid crisis.

But there is a major dispute among the state's top prosecutors over whether to accept that money or go to court to seek more.

District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.

Shapiro, during an appearance at Greenbriar Treatment Center in Washington County, said the state needs the money now to help with treatment.

Greenbriar CEO Mary Banaszak said they desperately need more funding.

"We need more staff. We need more therapists. We need more nurses and nurses are hard to find right now," Banaszak said.

But a letter from Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala filed as part of a lawsuit calls the settlement a "sham that should not prolong coordination of the pending actions or otherwise prohibit my office from moving forward with its cases on behalf of the residents of Allegheny County."

Zappala also said the settlement offers "absolutely no guarantee that local governments will get any meaningful relief, even if all local governments opt into the deal."

Zappala's lawsuit said Allegheny County would get as little as $2 million per year from the settlement, which falls far short of its needs.

Shapiro said Allegheny County and Philadelphia would take a major risk by opting out of the settlement.

"Neither Allegheny nor Philadelphia even have a court date. They are years and years and years away from having a court date," Shapiro said.

By the time they go to court, Shapiro said the drug distributors who are defendants in the case could be bankrupt.

"The net effect of all that is years would go by and they would likely end up with nothing," he said.

Counties and municipalities have until late December to decide whether to be part of the settlement.

In a statement, Allegheny County Solicitor Andy Szefi said, "We plan on participating and are currently in discussions regarding the settlement."

Attorney General, district attorneys at odds over $1 billion opioid settlement

District attorneys in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have filed suit to block the settlement reached by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and attorneys general from other states.

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