The Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims surrounding drug convictions vacated due to drug lab misconduct.

Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim they were not refunded for various court case-related fees resulting from drug convictions overturned due to state laboratory misconduct. Since these convictions were overturned due to misconduct, consumers say they should be refunded for various fees paid as a result of the court proceedings.

The class action lawsuit concerns a decade-old scandal at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute in which several employees were accused of tampering with evidence, forging results and other misconduct, NBC News reported. These actions resulted in over 16,000 drug offenses being dismissed.

Massachusetts agreed to resolve these allegations with a class action settlement. The exact settlement amount hasn’t been disclosed in court documents.

Table of Contents

Massachusetts Drug Conviction Class Action Lawsuit

Who’s Eligible:
- Individuals who were convicted of Massachusetts state drug offenses whose convictions have been vacated and dismissed without the prospect of re-prosecution due to misconduct of former state chemists
Estimated Amount: Varies
Proof of Purchase: Yes
- Proof of class membership, if submitting a membership claim form.
Claim Form Deadline: 04/06/2023
Case Name & Number:
- Stacy Foster, et al. v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Case No. 1984CV03373-C, in the Massachusetts Superior Court for Suffolk County
How to file a claim:
- Head over to the Claim Form.
- Read over the claim form to see if you are eligible.
- Complete the claim form with your info.
- Submit your claim form to receive your potential award!

File a Claim

(Click here to file a claim)

Bottom Line

Don’t forget to take a look at our full list of Class Action Lawsuit Settlements! Be sure to give our list of No-Proof Class Action lawsuit to see other settlements you may qualify for.