Jump to full article: The Oregonian, 2002-04-01
Author: ASHBEL S. GREEN
Intro: It was perhaps the defining moment of Wobbrock's career, but his face never betrayed it.
Certainly, Wobbrock said later, he was pleased that the jury made a statement that Philip Morris had fraudulently marketed low-tar cigarettes as a healthier alternative to regular smoking.
But even sitting in his office with the door closed, Wobbrock still didn't celebrate his stunning success. He didn't pull out a bottle of scotch to toast the moment, the way many lawyers would. . .
In the end, he smoked because he had to, Wobbrock said. "If it (quitting) was a matter of resolve, my father would have done it. Eighty-five percent of the people (who smoke) want to quit. That tells you something."
The more Wobbrock read, the angrier he got.
"I think cigarette companies are evil. I think they're really evil, and I think they're striving for respectability but they don't deserve it. They're drug dealers, and they target children," he said.
Wobbrock said that winning the Schwarz case made him feel that he had settled a personal score as well. "They ought to pay for whatever they've done to Michelle Schwarz, my father and 15 million other people," he said.
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