Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 239 posts

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#11

Post by capableweb »

sethammons wrote: post #8

Is there an article actually linked? All I see is the footer for more from routers...

Yes, in the opening sentence:

> Johnson & Johnson tried to get a U.S. judge to block Reuters from publishing a story

Story: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/...

Summary:

> J&J's covert 'Project Plato' team crafted strategy to redirect cancer plaintiffs out of trial courts and into bankruptcy process

> J&J documents show how it planned 'Texas two-step' maneuver to limit payouts for talc claims

> J&J executive asked whether maneuver would affect company's credit rating, documents show

> U.S. judge to weigh whether bankruptcy was filed in bad faith

> Company lawyer warned the team (Project Plato): Tell no one, not even your spouse. “It is critical that any activities related to Project Plato, including the mere fact the project exists, be kept in strict confidence,” Chris Andrew, a J&J lawyer, wrote in an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#15

Post by scottshea »

samwillis wrote: post #13
sethammons wrote: post #8

Is there an article actually linked? All I see is the footer for more from routers...

It’s strange, it’s crashing Safari on iOS: Mirror here: https://archive.ph/vfOkX

Chrome on Android as well

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#16

Post by dekhn »

moltar wrote: post #5
baybal2 wrote: post #2

How talc causes cancer?

talc-based products contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer

I don't think anybody demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the vended product was the cause of ovarian cancer in the plaintiffs.

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#17

Post by Geeek »

I remember reading this Axios[1] article and fuming at the fact that this is a legal and socially acceptable outcome to this saga. Glad this is getting a deeper look from news organizations.

[1]https://www.axios.com/johnson-johnson-texas-baby-powder-gamb...

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#18

Post by ThunderSizzle »

dekhn wrote: post #16
moltar wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

talc-based products contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer

I don't think anybody demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the vended product was the cause of ovarian cancer in the plaintiffs.

That's not the criteria required for a civil suit. That's the criteria for a criminal case, which is prosecuted by the DA.

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#19

Post by legalcorrection »

So either 1) the lawyers ripped off J&J by spending time on this or 2) J&J management was so angry and irrational that they demanded the lawyers waste their time on this.

Every lawyer worth their salt in America knows that you can’t get an injunction to prevent someone from publishing something. That’s a prior restraint and is about as close as you can get to something absolutely forbidden under American law.

Re: J&J tried to get federal judge to block publication of Reuters story

#20

Post by afthonos »

dekhn wrote: post #16
moltar wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

talc-based products contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer

I don't think anybody demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the vended product was the cause of ovarian cancer in the plaintiffs.

Since none of this is about criminal proceedings in the US, “beyond a reasonable doubt” is a meaningless (quite literally; what do you mean?) standard.
Post reply on HN