WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear appeals from tobacco companies that wanted to reduce payments owed to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
After a federal arbitration panel in 2013 cut the annual payments by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Philip Morris USA, and others, state courts ruled that was wrong.
The justices are leaving those rulings in place. The payments reimburse the states for smoking-related health costs.
A nationwide settlement in 1998 allowed tobacco companies to seek a reduction if they lost market share to competitors not participating in the agreement.
States could avoid the reduction if they diligently enforced laws against non-participating companies.
- Posted October 19, 2016
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Appeal from tobacco firms rejected
headlines Macomb
- Sharing some holiday cheer
- MDHHS shares latest MISEP update demonstrating strong progress and improvements made in keeping children safe
- Task force investigations result in two men arraigned on charges including armed robbery, conducting a criminal enterprise
- Law firm honors local teacher as Exceptional Educator of the Month
- Nessel announces settlements with Lannett and Bausch approaching $18M over conspiracies to inflate prices and limit competition
headlines National
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law back in compliance with ABA standard
- Chemerinsky: The Fourth Amendment comes back to the Supreme Court
- Reinstatement of retired judge reversed by state supreme court
- Mass tort lawyer suspended for 3 years for lying to clients
- Law firms in Minneapolis are helping lawyers, staff navigate unrest
- Federal judge faces trial on charges of being ‘super drunk’ while driving
