Appeals court reopens case involving payment to law firm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A Kentucky appeals court has ordered more proceedings in a legal fight over a $4 million payment to a law firm for negotiating a settlement on behalf of the state with the maker of OxyContin.

A three-judge Kentucky Court of Appeals panel ruled unanimously Friday that a summary judgment previously granted in the case was “premature” because it didn’t allow more information to be reviewed. The ruling returned the case to a lower court.

The case has considerable political connections involving Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and his political rivals.

The ruling drew quick praise from Bevin’s administration. His general counsel, Steve Pitt, says additional information could shed light on why Kentucky’s lawsuit against a large pharmaceutical company was settled “for pennies on the dollar.”

Attorney General Andy Beshear’s spokesman says the ruling “did not decide the merits of the case.”