May 8, 1998 - Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki has this look back at the trial: The lawyers on each side of the case sparred even before the trial. In mid January, the state's lead attorney Mike Ciresi crashed a tobacco industry press briefing and told tobacco officials it was inappropriate to call a press conference just before jury selection: (don't you want to pick an impartial jury...about this. :40 Pretrial rancor gave way to courtroom civility early in jury selection. About 50 attorneys from elite national lawfirms filled half the courtroom with grey flannel and a hint of expensive cologne. They contrasted sharply
May 8, 1998 - MPR special on the tobacco settlement. Includes report from MPR’s Elizabeth Stawiki, followed by speeches and interviews from Skip Humphrey, Minnesota attorney general; Michael Ciresi, state's lead attorney; jurors, and others. A key component to settlement was the banning of tobacco marketing to children.
May 8, 1998 - An MPR special on the tobacco trial and its implications. Contains discussion on tentative tobacco settlement between the State of Minnesota and Blue Cross/Blue Shield with the tobacco industry. Program includes updates and report summary from MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki, Laura McCullum, and Bob Collins. There are also various interviews, including attorney Ron Meshbesher.
May 7, 1998 - Tobacco company attorneys present their closing arguments this morning in Saint Paul amidst rumors of settlement talks. Minnesota Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Skip Humphrey sounded like he'd prefer to settle Minnesota's tobacco trial but also said he's prepared to let the jury decide. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Humphrey spoke before an audience of public health professors at the University of Minnesota giving few clues as to whether he's close to settling the case. Settlement rumors have been flying since Monday when the St Paul Pioneer Press reported parties for the state, blue cross/blue shield and tobacco companies had outlined an agreement. That agreement reportedly called for the industry to pay five-billion-dollars over the next 25 years and submit to marketing restrictions to teenagers.
April 23, 1998 - A former C-E-O of the nation's largest cigarette maker testified in Minnesota's tobacco trial Philip Morris never targeted its advertising at non-smokers or people under 18. James Morgan, a long-time Philip Morris marketing executive who rose to C-E-O told jurors smoking is a risky decision only adults should make. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The tobacco industry brought in James Morgan to testify about Philip Morris' marketing practices in the past 20 years. The State contends the industry targeted underage smokers because they represented a critical market. Most smokers begin smoking before the age of 18 and many select a brand they'll stay with for years to follow. Morgan said...in his words, fortunately there are laws in states that stop minors from buying cigarettes. He told jurors the company
April 22, 1998 - State's attorneys in Minnesota's tobacco trial introduced memos that show Philip Morris identified a cancer-causing chemical in cigarette smoke during the 1960's but didn't try to remove it until 20 years later. Attorneys for the State and Blue Cross introduced the memos during cross examination of a Philip Morris senior scientist--Clifton Lilly. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Attorneys showed the jury a Philip Morris memo from the early 60's in which a scientist wrote cigarette smoke contained a cancer-causing chemical. another memo introduced said the nation's number one cigarette maker didn't try to remove the chemical until 20 years later. One senior scientist who received that memo was Clifton Lilly now a vice president for developing new technology.
April 17, 1998 - Tobacco attorneys lost two major appeals in the State's lawsuit yesterday (Thursday). Ramsey County's chief judge denied the industry's request to remove Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick from the case; and the State Supreme Court upheld penalities against one of the companies for failing to produce two witnesses. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: In his ruling, Ramsey County Chief Judge Lawrence Cohen said Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick had conducted the tobacco case in a fair and even-handed manner . The tobacco industry had claimed Fitzpatrick was biased against it in jury selection, rulings, and demeanor in the courtroom. The tobacco industry has appealed 18 of Fitzpatrick's rulings and has lost all 18 including 2 appeals to the U-S Supreme Court.
April 16, 1998 - Attorneys in Minnesota's tobacco trial introduced documents that suggest a group of industry lawyers set out to hide and destroy internal research about additives in cigarettes. Some health officials have said additives may also pose a danger to smokers of low-tar cigarettes. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Attorneys for the State and Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota introduced a 1981 memo that detailed a meeting by a group of tobacco lawyers--known as the committee of counsel--attorneys who represented each of the major tobacco companies. The memo outlines their strategy to counter negative publicity surrounding cigarette additives by creating a scientific panel that would show the government the industry was policing itself.
April 9, 1998 - State's attorneys in Minnesota's tobacco trial say they will introduce evidence gleened from the latest cache of industry internal documents with the next witness...today (Thursday) or Friday. Some analysts say documents in Minnesota's case helped scuttle the latest proposed national legislation. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: R-J Reynolds' opposition to the latest national settlement proposal came two days after the industry lost a critical battle to keep secret nearly 40-thousand internal documents. the industry fought hard to keep those files out of minnesota's case. One tobacco analyst sees a connection. Law Professor Richard Daynard heads the tobacco products liability project at Northeastern University in Boston. Daynard is a staunch opponent of the tobacco industry.
April 7, 1998 - Tobacco companies have reluctantly turned over a much fought-over cache of documents the State says shows the industry's deepest, darkest secrets. Now the files are in the hands of State and Blue Cross Blue Shield attorneys who plan to use them as ammunition in Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Tobacco company staff wheeled more than 100 boxes of confidential files into the state's minneapolis lawfirm to an audience of onlookers, lawyers and reporters. (sfx...squeaky wheels, boxes being thrown down etc) The tobacco industry fought hard to keep these files secret; they climbed a ladder of appeals to the U-S Supreme Court--and lost. Right now, these files are subject to protective order and aren't