Tobacco Firms Face US in High-Stakes Trial
September 20, 2004 10:25 am by brownpau“In a nonjury trial scheduled to start here on Tuesday in Federal District Court, the government is seeking to strip the companies - disgorgement, in legal terms - of $280 billion that Justice Department lawyers say was earned through fraud. As the largest civil case ever prosecuted under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act, it has the potential to put the companies out of business.”
Full story in New York Times (registration required).