Jump to full article: St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, 2007-06-12
Author: Adam Jadhav ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Intro: Now, anti-tobacco activists and Tillery say the U.S. high court has cast doubt on the extent to which the cigarette companies acted with federal power.
"We have found no evidence of any delegation of legal authority from the FTC to the tobacco industry association" which tested cigarettes for the trade commission, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote on behalf of the justices.
That position could help attorneys in some 20 states, including Tillery, who claim that Philip Morris violated state consumer fraud laws by hoodwinking smokers into believing that light cigarettes were less harmful than regular or full-flavor brands.
Tillery believes that decision and related legal briefs from the government saying companies were never specifically ordered or given approval to use the "light" label could help him persuade the Illinois Supreme court to reopen the Madison County case.
Philip Morris' parent corporation Altria Group issued a statement denying that Monday's ruling would effect lawsuits over light cigarettes. "Today's decision does not directly address the issue of whether (federal regulations on tobacco companies) prevents plaintiffs from suing under state consumer fraud laws," a statement said.
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Quotes from this article:
Today's decision does not directly address the issue of whether (federal regulations on tobacco companies) prevents plaintiffs from suing under state consumer fraud laws.
Philip Morris statement on the Supreme Court's Watson ruling.
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