A federal lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s court system and several county courts, including Lackawanna Court of Common Pleas, was settled earlier this month.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleged courts in Jefferson, Blair and Lackawanna counties violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying access to medications for opioid use disorder. A complaint from 2018 argues a Jefferson County court ordered a woman to stop taking an addiction management medication, like methadone, while on probation, or return to prison if she would not comply.
Six individuals, including an unnamed person previously incarcerated in Lackawanna County, will receive a share of $100,000 from the state's Unified Judicial System. As part of the agreement, the state must report back to the DOJ with new anti-discrimination policies.