Challenge in opioid trial: Finding jurors in a stricken area

CLEVELAND (AP) — How to select a jury for a trial about the opioid crisis in an area particularly hard hit by addictions and overdoses? That's the challenge facing attorneys and a judge responsible for choosing jurors in the first federal trial over the epidemic.

Attorneys for two county governments in Ohio and for the half-dozen defendants being sued in a landmark trial in Cleveland are trying to select 12 jurors.

Selection began Wednesday with lawyers and U.S. District Judge Dan Polster interviewing prospective jurors in the judge's chambers to determine whether they have biases against either side, or whether they or immediate family members have been affected by opioids to a point where they would not be suitable for a jury.

The legal situation — and jury selection — became even more complicated as multiple defendants asked Polster early Wednesday to delay the trial after reports that the three big drug distributors were offering a total of $18 billion over 18 years to settle the suits set for trial and some 2,000 others.

Two people with knowledge of the talks confirmed to The Associated Press that the offer had been made. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose details from ongoing talks. The offer was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The lawyers argued that jurors who read or saw any of the coverage would be tainted when learning of the massive amount of money possibly being discussed.

Polster said that he didn't believe many of the potential jurors would have been exposed to the stories, and that he would question them to determine whether they were aware of the coverage.

A delay, he said, could have pushed the trial into next year.

"Only a fool would start a trial in Cleveland in January or...