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New York Judge Moves Tobacco Lawsuit Closer to Trial
Reuters
November 20, 2000
A United States District court judge on Monday took the first step in certifying a potential multi-million dollar class action lawsuit against tobacco companies. The decision, released by Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein, certifies one of four requirements necessary to move forward with a trial, affirming that New York state fraud laws apply to the case.
If the other phases of the class action known as Simon are certified, a trial in New York could include complaints from thousands of tobacco customers across the country, who claim deceptive marketing practices by the industry led to their addiction. Plaintiffs qualifying for the class action lawsuit have smoked at least one pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years and are seeking compensatory funds from major tobacco companies. The defendants include tobacco giants Philip Morris Cos. Inc, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., a unit of British American Tobacco Plc., among others.