Tobacco Documents Online

• 0 Fax:3511. Aug 26 '96 3:03 OREGONIAN AUG 2 4 1996 Tobacco firms not at fault, jury decides The Rogers verdict. coming an a rne~s,o~,rwP.as, :day,when Clinton latposed severe restricttons on the marketing of cig- iNDIANAFOLIS - A jury EYiday l ~ttea to children, took on addition• tound cigarette cotnpanies ttot re-` al importantt for an industry won- sponsiWe for a lifelong smoker's; 'dering whether the tideof opinion• umcerdeath. In 'U.S. courtrooms has turned The verdict was a break for the to-, against tt- hacco Industry, which lost asimilari We seent to da a little better in lawsuit this month and fates new+ oourtropms than in newspapers and federal regulations atgtoutttxd Fri• on televisiori." said Bill Ohlemeyet•, day by President Clinton. : an altornel• for co•defendant Philip After deliberating 16 hours, the Morris Cos. state jur9 reJected claims by the Cigarette•makers have long widow of Richard Rogers that the boasted that they never had paid a companies were to blame• for his cant m health-related suits brought smoking addictioa, which began at ~smoketsy age 5 and ended with hie death ia A Florida Jury this month award- ed i750,066 to a man who got lung 1697 at 52 rancer after 44 years of smoking: ft Tobacco lawyers sald Rogers was oniy the second time a Jury has utose to smoke, despite waittings of ruled against the industry. The fh-st the potential risks. verdict was ovetmrned on appeal. The lawsuit had sought at least The -other companies involved in $424,000 in damages. Nte lawault were R J. Re nolds To- we were very strong in our feci• a un a a tarn big that personal respunsibility is go'Td~ Co.; Am .rtran very important." jury foreman Co., owned by A. . ndustrtes David rlnderson said. "This case is and L1ggett roup nc. a not a case of whether•cigarettes are grooke GtnupLi^ ~ dangerous." . ~