A Las Vegas judge has sanctioned defense attorneys for disobeying court orders and disrupting court proceedings, saying the behavior could prejudice the jury against the plaintiffs in a closely watched trial over the pharmaceutical drug Actos.
Clark County, Nev., District Judge Kerry Earley found that attorneys for Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., maker of Actos, had violated pretrial evidentiary rulings nine times during the trial, which is expected to wrap up this month. They also have “repeatedly engaged in disruptive and disrespectful behavior towards the court,” she wrote.
