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Thousands to split $14M in Mass. drug lab scandal settlement

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The process of reimbursing people for the biggest drug lab scandals in the nation’s history is moving forward.

Massachusetts officials are notifying more than 30,000 people who will share a $14 million dollar settlement for the impact of the state’s drug lab scandals a decade ago.

Those receiving notices had their criminal convictions dismissed because evidence in their cases was tainted by the misconduct of former state chemists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak. Both were convicted of tampering with the drugs they were testing for evidence in criminal cases, resulting in the state Supreme Judicial Court dismissing tens of thousands of compromised criminal cases.

The settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit seeking to reimburse those who had their cases dismissed. The fees eligible for reimbursement include probation fees, victim witness fees, GPS monitoring costs and driver's license reinstatement fees.

“Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak’s crimes undermined the integrity of our justice system and impacted thousands of lives,” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said when the settlement was reached in June. “From the start, we have recognized that defendants with vacated convictions should be refunded and are pleased to have engaged in a collaborative effort to reach a fair and efficient resolution for all involved.”

A lead plaintiff in the class action suit, Nicole Westcott, 34, of Belchertown, said she doesn't know exactly how much money she stands to receive if a judge signs off on the settlement later this fall. But Westcott said she paid a variety of fees, such as $65 monthly probation costs and $500 to get her driver’s license, before the SJC dismissed her three possession cases in 2018.

“The people who were involved in this will finally get justice,” Westcott said.

Westcott has been in recovery from heroin addiction for nearly nine years. She said early recovery was hard because finding employment and housing was difficult with a criminal record and having to pay court fees.

"Not only did I already put my life on hold for the years that I was using, but now I was ready to be a functional member of society and I was blocked from doing that because of these charges," Westcott said.

At one point, Westcott said she faced incarceration because of unpaid court costs. She recalled a hearing where she had to borrow $250 or return to jail.

“I was doing really well,” Westcott said. “But I remember being terrified, sitting outside the courthouse hysterically crying. I was like, 'Why are they going to incarcerate me for money?' ”

Each person who has had a case dismissed will receive at least $150. The average amount for each recipient is estimated at $375. The state is notifying people via letters, posting flyers and the settlement notice is available online. Class members can also call 1-833-630-1415 for information in both English and Spanish.

The settlement also covers relatives of deceased class members.

A judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement in October. If the judge determines that it is fair, a settlement administrator will send out checks. Any uncashed checks will be distributed to Community Legal Aid, Inc., the Transformational Prison Project, and the Tufts Education Reentry Network program after one year.

This segment aired on August 26, 2022.

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