By Associated Press
Tulsa, OK – Judge agrees to stop evidence exchange
TULSA, Okla. (AP) The exchange of evidence in a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Human Services will stop until an appeal of the decision to grant class-action status to the case has been resolved.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell cited "the potentially unnecessary expense of public resources" in agreeing to stop the discovery process.
New York-based Children's Rights, a child-advocacy group, sued DHS last year on behalf of nine plaintiffs who were abused while in foster care. Two have since been dropped from the lawsuit.
Frizzell granted class-action status in May, expanding the plaintiffs to a class of about 11,000 children.
In June, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the state to appeal the class-action designation.
DHS requested that any exchange of evidence between parties cease until a ruling on the appeal is made.
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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.