PORTLAND, Maine — The trial against the town of Warren by a company that wanted to open a methadone clinic is set for July 1.
The scheduling order for the case of CRC Health Group Inc. against the Knox County town was issued Oct. 16 by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Rich III.
The order notes that no jury trial has been sought, which means a federal judge would rule on the merits of the case.
Warren had agreed to a settlement with CRC last year but the California-based company asked for the case to be put back on the schedule after months of planning board review. The Warren Planning Board approved the project but neighbors to the proposed clinic at the intersection of Route 1 and Short Street filed an appeal before the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals. The Warren Sanitary District also had not given its approval for a permit for the clinic.
In the tentative September 2011 settlement, the town’s insurance company had agreed to pay all but $1 of the $320,000 payout to CRC. No dollar estimate has been given on potential damages if the court were to side with CRC. The town, however, had to agree to review and decide on the project within a designated time frame that was far surpassed.
The issue arose in September 2010 when developer Bob Emery of Vixen Land Holdings Inc. tried to purchase the former Warren Primary School from Warren, telling officials it would be rented as office space. When the public learned that CRC Health Group planned to use the school for a methadone clinic, the town rescinded its purchase and sales agreement with Emery.
Residents voted in December 2010 for a moratorium against methadone clinics to allow the town time to adopt land ordinances regulating such businesses.
CRC filed its lawsuit in May 2011, claiming the town’s actions were discriminatory because drug addicts are protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The proposed clinic has divided the town. Four planning board members resigned earlier this year including longtime Board Chairman Peter Krakoff.
Voters agreed overwhelmingly in September to set aside $60,000 more to handle the legal matters surrounding the clinic.
If methadone users are so “disabled”, subjecting all those around them to the Americans with Disabilities Act, how can the state take their dope away from them after a certain amount of time?
Very good question!
Because the ADA has become a catch-all piece of legislation that is broad enough to sweep every single one of us into the definition of “disabled” if we wanted to be. It’s a total farce.
And an expensive one, at that.
It’s a liberal’s dream;
Hook some poor turnip on methadone and then make money selling it to them through a government program.
Pushers on the street have better reputations.
You are correct, methadone “treatment” gets it’s clients good and stoned so that they won’t have the need to seek illegal opiates. This is not a treatment program; it’s not like Betty Ford where the addicts get cured of their addiction. In methadone programs the addict is maintained for the rest of their lives paid for by the government. This makes Mittens Robme the largest dope dealer in the world!
Yowsa, last time I looked Mittins ain’t a liberal last time I looked.
Depends on who he’s talking to. He has several hats
correct about all of the above.
I have successfully gotten off from illicit drugs (my choice was opiates, i.e. oxycontin, percocet) by going to a methadone clinic and I have been clean for over three years now. I have a bachelors degree and graduated Summa Cum Laude from a major university, I say this before anyone starts the argument that all people who get hooked on drugs are poor, uneducated people. Anyhow, I can tell you from my experience and the many others I have interacted with throughout my treatment that nobody who goes to a clinic can get “high” from methadone. These are people who have used drugs for so long that no matter what the drug or what the dose, you cannot get high. It is not possible as your body (specifically your brain) has developed too many opiate receptors and no matter what amount of drugs you put into your body your brain cannot fill the void. Anyone who reaches the point of going to a methadone clinic will tell you that taking drugs simply allows them to feel normal, instead of feeling like crap but getting high is a thing of the past. It is next to impossible for most anyone to get high from methadone and is entirely impossible for someone who has used for an extended period to get “high”. This is just one of the many pieces of misinformation that I am quite frankly sick of hearing people talk about. “LISTEN PEOPLE, THOSE WHO GO TO A CLINIC CANNOT GET HIGH, IT IS NOT FUN TO GO TO THESE PLACES, IN FACT IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS BUT WORTH IT TO GET OFF FROM USING ILLICIT/ILLEGAL DRUGS”
And by the way the government has not paid for my treatment as the $95 a week payment came out of my pocket, I was happy to pay this as it was a relief to know that I didn’t have to go hunting for drugs everyday and putting myself in harms way. I wish people had just an ounce of compassion because addiction does not discriminate. I for one never in a million years thought I would be addicted to opiates, but a few minor surgeries and the resulting pain pills where all it took. Some people can take opiates for a month and not get addicted, while others can take them for a few days and develop a lifelong battle with addiction, thank your lucky stars if it hasn’t happened to you……yet.
Methadone addicts claiming the town’s actions are discriminatory??? DUMP THE ADA.
Mitt Romney strikes again! CRC is funded by Bain Capital. Mitt Romney’s sole sources of income are from Bain Capital and offshore investments where he pays no taxes. Bain funds CRC which bludgeons small towns like Warren with the ADA. And now we find ourselves in Federal Court where we have no chance of winning. Our taxes will go through the roof thanks to our dumb town manager and selectmen who opened the door for these predators. Thanks Mittins Robme hope you lose big today.
Where do you think Bob Emery comes into this picture? Remember, he’s the one who invited CRC to Warren with a nice sweet, behind the backs of Warren citizens, deal. All because of a family member who got himself addicted to this crap. Emery has lost friends, businesses, properties, money and most important, Emery has lost respect.
I’m very glad Emery didn’t invite this crap into the town where I currently live. For that, I feel very fortunate.
Hope your family is never in need of treatment. Sad to pass judgment on others for wanting to help their loved ones!!
There is much more to this story than I dare to share on a public forum. What upsets me most is Emery was sneaking around behind people’s backs in his attempt to become a landlord for these drug dealers. He did this at the expense of an entire town and he knew (almost) nobody would approve. Very sneaky and in my opinion, slimey.
Filing a lawsuit is quite different from settling a lawsuit which is very different from winning the lawsuit. I don’t know if it’s true that the ADA protects addicts from discrimination, but alleging that it does is certainly a way to get the case into the federal court system. That becomes very expensive for the town (and, more importantly, its insurer) so they may be willing to settle a case that the company may never have won.
I have little doubt that is what CRC is hoping for. A settlement for a large sum of money plus forcing the town to let them in.
crc health group inc. is the mcdonalds of methadone clinics. why doesn’t bain capital build their clinic in china? they have the experience.
Drug dealers are executed in China. it is more the Burger King of methadone clinics. Bain owns that too.
There is an undeniable need for these clinics.
The neighbors dont want to be surrounded by drug addicts.
OK , fair enough.
So why doesnt the drug pushing company go somewhere that they may be welcomed.
Not sure where that would be exactly, but there must be somewhere for them to go.
Just not there.
Bangor is already spoken for.
However, you would think more communities would want to follow, as the methadone program is having such a positive impact here.
Impact ??
Yes.
Positive ??
Debatable.