JULY 13, 2003 22:23
by Seong-Ju Lee After the Public Health Law went into effect on July 1, many people now say that they will quit because they feel so irritated and discriminated. The government`s campaign against heavy-smokers seems to work well in this regard.
For those considering quitting smoking, the summer vacation season can be a right time to do just that. When working, it is not easy to quit. You feel pressure from the work and often drink with coworkers after work. Besides, some of coworkers who are smokers implicitly urge you to stay on the course with them.....Read Full article Big-Bucks Bond Still Bugs Morris NEW YORK - Yesterday, in its always busy legal docket, Philip Morris USA won one and lost one. The case it won was in Nevada, where a federal judge denied class-action status in five cases filed by smokers against the company, meaning the cases will have to be tried one at a time. The Nevada ruling came in sharp contrast to one in Illinois, where an appeals court reversed a trial court order reducing the bond that Philip Morris must pay in order to appeal a $10.1 billion verdict, which came in a class-action case that was certified and won by smokers of so-called light cigarettes......Read Full article Nevada judge denies class-action suit against tobacco companies. A federal judge in Nevada has denied certification in five class-action lawsuits on behalf of smokers seeking damages from U.S. tobacco companies. U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George ruled late Friday that the request for class certification failed to meet the standard to proceed as a group. George wrote in his opinion that there"are a number of factors identified by the defendants demonstrating that individual issues ... not only exist as to each member of the class, but will vary extensively as to each member.......Read Full article Chaos Erupts At Rhode Island Smoke Shop Raid CHARLESTOWN, R.I. -- The chief of the Narragansett Indian Tribe was arrested Monday by state police in what onlookers called a "violent" raid of the tribe's new tax-free tobacco shop.
Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and other tribal members were arrested as police entered the smoke shop through three separate doors. A WJAR television reporter said it was yet to be determined who authorized the raid. Gov. Don Carcieri is expected to answer questions at a news conference at 5 p.m........Read Full article Appeals court says judge had no authority to reduce Philip Morris bond. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOUNT VERNON, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois appeals court ruled Monday a state judge must reconsider his decision to reduce the size of a bond Philip Morris USA must post for its appeal of a $10.1 billion lawsuit over light cigarettes. The three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeals in Mount Vernon said Judge Nicholas Byron didn't have the authority to reduce the appeal bond from $12 billion to $6 billion.
The appeals court will not enforce its ruling for 30 days while Byron reconsiders the case. "The opinion is clear, straightforward and speaks for itself," said Joy Howell, a spokeswoman for Carr Korein Tillery, the Belleville, Ill., law firm representing the 1.1 million Illinois smokers in the lawsuit........Read Full article
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