Attorney General Bonta Issues Statement Following Restorative Justice Hearings Attended by the Sackler Family

During hearing, opioid crisis victims addressed the Sacklers directly

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a statement today following a restorative justice hearing related to the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy. The hearing was a result of the tentative settlement reached last week between Purdue and the Sackler family and the states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. In response to requests from the attorneys general, mediator Judge Shelley C. Chapman urged the bankruptcy court to require members of the Sackler family to participate in a public hearing where victims and their survivors would have the opportunity to directly address the Sackler family.  

“Today we heard directly from victims of the opioid crisis — the people whose lives and livelihoods have been personally impacted and upended by the Sacklers’ misconduct. These stories of suffering were heartbreaking, but they were also a critical reminder of the devastation and incurable losses caused by the Sackler family,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The ability to directly address the Sacklers and explain how their wrongdoing has impacted them was an opportunity for restorative justice and a result of the mediation that led to our tentative settlement with the Sackler family.”

Today’s hearing was attended by Richard Sackler, Theresa Sackler, and David Sackler. Members of the public were able to attend the hearing telephonically, and a transcript of the hearing will be made public by the court.  

The bankruptcy court issued an order today authorizing and approving the tentative settlement between the state attorneys general and the Sacklers. However, it remains subject to the parties reaching an agreement on the settlement and related issues, as well as ongoing proceedings in the appeals court.

Purdue's appeal of California's successful challenge of the company’s bankruptcy plan remains pending before the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

Additional information regarding the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy is available at https://restructuring.primeclerk.com/purduepharma.