The US government and three of the US-based cigarette manufacturers on Friday filed petitions separately with the Supreme Court for review of an appeal court’s verdict on racketeering by major tobacco companies.
While the cigarette makers filed to reverse the decision given against them by the appeal court, the government’s review petition said that the court has incorrectly denied billions of money that the government should get from the tobacco makers.
In May last year a US Court of Appeals panel upheld a trial judge’s decision that hold the tobacco companies guilty of violating US federal anti-racketeering laws by conspiring to lie about the risks associated with cigarette smoking.
The suit, which was originally filled in 1999, includes the names of Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro, Lorillard, which owns brands like Newport and Kent and R.J. Reynolds Tobbacco, the owner of Camel. While the government demanded $289 billion in damages, later the under President George Bush it re-quoted a damage amount of $14 billion to push anti-smoking campaigns.
If the Supreme Court tales up the case it would be landmark event for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.