PHOENIX – The Arizona Supreme Court will review a lower court’s decision reviving lawsuits filed by Havasupai Indians who claim that university researchers misused blood samples taken from tribal members.
The Court of Appeals overturned a trial judge and ruled that the Havasupai and other plaintiffs had provided enough information to proceed toward a trial.
The Supreme Court on Monday turned away appeals filed by several parties in the case but accepted one on behalf of two researchers.
The cases stem from research conducted with blood samples taken from tribal members for diabetes research in the 1990s.
Researchers also used the blood samples for research into schizophrenia, inbreeding and ancient population migration.