Council For Tobacco Research

Judge Orders Secret Tobacco Files Opened: Federal Judge H. Lee Sarokin, who presided over an earlier groundbreaking suit against the tobacco industry, ordered secret tobacco industry information turned over to the plaintiff in a smoking case, saying it provides damaging evidence that cigarette makers have lied about the dangers of smoking for decades.

A state court judge in King County, Wash., ordered the tobacco industry to turn over 32 internal documents to the state attorney general, saying the documents provide evidence supporting the state's case that cigarette companies used an industry research group "to mislead the public and/or that the RJ Reynolds Co. concealed health risks associated with its products."

A state court judge in King County, Wash., ordered the tobacco industry to turn over 32 internal documents to the state attorney general, saying the documents provide evidence supporting the state's case that cigarette companies used an industry research group "to mislead the public and/or that the RJ Reynolds Co. concealed health risks associated with its products."

Although the landmark tobacco settlement announced last week requires the industry to abolish its controversial lobbying arm--the Tobacco Institute--the mood at the institute's office here on Monday was anything but grim. "All we're going to do is change the name on the door," said institute vice president Walker Merryman, noting that the deal--with some stipulations--allows the formation of a new industry trade association after the old one has been dismantled.

Although the landmark tobacco settlement announced last week requires the industry to abolish its controversial lobbying arm--the Tobacco Institute--the mood at the institute's office here on Monday was anything but grim. "All we're going to do is change the name on the door," said institute vice president Walker Merryman, noting that the deal--with some stipulations--allows the formation of a new industry trade association after the old one has been dismantled.

Cigarette company lawyers for years ran a "special projects" division within the putatively independent Council for Tobacco Research, steering grants to favored scientists whose research might be used to defend the industry from legal attack, internal documents show. Documents from the files of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.

The head of the Council for Tobacco Research acknowledged Thursday that his organization acted as an industry "conduit," steering research grants to favored scientists in hopes of getting results that reflected positively on the industry. But he insisted that most of the researchers who did work for the council were "assured complete scientific freedom." Dr. James F.

A federal judge set a tentative trial date of July 15, 2003, for the federal government's racketeering claims against the tobacco industry. The trial date had been set for January 2003. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in September dismissed two counts of the Justice Department's lawsuit that sought to recover billions of dollars spent by the federal government on smoking-related illnesses.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., jury ordered Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. and two industry groups to pay $20 million in punitive damages to the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer. Brown & Williamson said it would appeal the verdict, the tobacco industry's first loss in New York in a smoking and health case. The state court jury had previously awarded compensatory damages of $350,000 to Gladys Frankson, whose husband, Harry Frankson, died at 58.

The judge in Florida's anti-tobacco lawsuit dismissed racketeering charges against Hill & Knowlton Inc., saying the publicity agency's actions took place too long ago for it to be considered a partner in the conspiracy to misinform the public alleged by Florida in its $1-billion lawsuit to recover medical costs of residents made ill by smoking.

The head of the Council for Tobacco Research acknowledged Thursday that his organization acted as an industry "conduit," steering research grants to favored scientists in hopes of getting results that reflected positively on the industry. But he insisted that most of the researchers who did work for the council were "assured complete scientific freedom." Dr. James F.

Cigarette company lawyers for years ran a "special projects" division within the putatively independent Council for Tobacco Research, steering grants to favored scientists whose research might be used to defend the industry from legal attack, internal documents show. Documents from the files of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.

Judge Orders Secret Tobacco Files Opened: Federal Judge H. Lee Sarokin, who presided over an earlier groundbreaking suit against the tobacco industry, ordered secret tobacco industry information turned over to the plaintiff in a smoking case, saying it provides damaging evidence that cigarette makers have lied about the dangers of smoking for decades.

Jurors in the first smokers' class-action lawsuit to go to trial are expected to begin deliberations today, following eight months of testimony in the $200-billion lawsuit filed on behalf of up to 500,000 sick Florida smokers. The six-member jury in a Miami circuit court will be asked to decide whether the nation's five biggest cigarette makers and two industry groups are responsible for injuries smokers claim they suffered because they couldn't quit smoking.