| COMMUNITY |
| Message Boards Chat Feedback |
| SITE SOURCES |
| Contents Help! Search CNN Networks |
| SPECIALS |
| Quick News Almanac Video Vault News Quiz |
|
Tobacco trial closing arguments under way
Settlement talks break down
May 7, 1998
Web posted at: 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT)In this story
ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Closing arguments began Thursday morning in the $1.77 billion suit by the state of Minnesota and Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Minnesota against the tobacco industry. Talks aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement broke down overnight, one of the parties confirmed.
At the start of his closing arguments, a defense attorney asked the jury to "exonerate Liggett," one of the tobacco firms being sued.
Attorney David Sasseville said Liggett Group Inc. acted differently than the other tobacco companies. "Liggett was a lone wolf " in doing health research into smoking, Sasseville said.
He told the six-man, six-woman jury that Liggett is the only tobacco company that has admitted there is a "causal connection between smoking and cancer" and that "nicotine is addictive."
"Liggett was not a conspirator," Sasseville said.
No settlement
Brief history of tobacco
Text: Tobacco settlement
Tobacco company internal documents Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota CEO Andrew Czajkowski said one of the tobacco defendants walked out of the talks. The impasse, Czajkowski said, was on the industry's request for immunity from lawsuits from Minnesota counties.
Czajkowski said there is still the possibility that the settlement talks could start again, but "it is very, very late now." He added that once the case goes to the jury on Friday afternoon, the chances of a settlement are "about zero."
A spokeswoman for Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III would not confirm or deny that settlement talks had broken down.
The plantiffs -- seeking reimbursement for money they say they spent treating smoking-related illnesses -- were to give their closing arguments on Friday.
The case could go to the jury Friday afternoon.
Correspondent Tony Clark contributed to this report.
Special section:
Message board:
Related stories:
- Settlement unlikely in Minnesota tobacco trial - May 6, 1998
- Settlement possible in Minnesota tobacco trial - May 5, 1998
- Big tobacco won't work toward settlement - April 8, 1998
- 5 tobacco firms to withdraw from deal - April 8, 1998
- Tobacco firms post internal documents on Internet - February 27, 1998
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- The State of Minnesota and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota vs. Philip Morris Inc., et al Case File #62-C1-94-008565
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Tobacco Web Site
- TobaccoResolution.com - industry-sponsored site concerning tobacco's legal issues
- Minnesota State Government Online
- Tobacco Resources on the Internet - Northern California Association of Law Libraries
- Major legal cases and court coverage of tobacco lawsuits around the world - HealthWatch.org
- Additional related sites - "Tobacco Under Attack" special section
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
|
Sound off on our message boards & chat |
|
© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.