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Walla Walla County withdraws board motion to add defendants in long-running opioid lawsuit
Summary
County Chief Civil Deputy Jesse Nolte told the board the county will withdraw its July 8, 2024 motion to add certain defendants to the county's ongoing opioid litigation; the board approved the withdrawal 3-0 and confirmed the county is not withdrawing the overall suit.
Walla Walla County moved on March 31 to withdraw a prior board motion dated July 8, 2024 that had authorized adding certain defendants to the county’s opioid litigation. The board voted 3-0 to withdraw the July 8 motion; the county did not withdraw its underlying lawsuit.
Chief Civil Deputy Jesse Nolte summarized the litigation history: the county filed suit against multiple opioid defendants in 2019 and has added defendants over time. Nolte said that after reviewing the case and conferring with outside counsel, the best course was to withdraw the prior motion to add additional defendants that the board had approved by consensus in July 2024. Nolte asked for a formal motion to withdraw that July 8 motion and confirmed outside counsel agreed with the recommendation.
Commissioners asked for and received confirmation that the action withdraws only the earlier motion to add defendants and does not dismiss the county's overarching lawsuit. The motion to withdraw carried 3-0.
The transcript does not enumerate the specific defendants that would have been added under the July 2024 action; Nolte noted the list was read into the record at an earlier meeting but was not repeated at the March 31 session.
