PM USA welcomes Price case decision

The Illinois Supreme Court yesterday granted review in the Price case to decide whether its 2005 dismissal of that case against Philip Morris USA should remain in place.

In 2003, a Madison Circuit Court judge sitting without a jury found that PM USA had deceived Illinois smokers in purchasing Marlboro Lights and Cambridge Lights cigarettes and imposed a $10.1 billion judgment.

But in 2005, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the judgment in favor of PM USA.

‘In April, an intermediate state appellate court overturned a decade-old decision of the Illinois Supreme Court dismissing the Price case,’ according to a PM USA note posted on its website yesterday. ‘The appellate court further held that, as a result of the case being reopened, the original judgment should be reinstated. That decision remains stayed while on appeal.’

“The Illinois Supreme Court has already once ordered judgment to be entered in PM USA’s favour,” said Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president and associate general counsel, speaking on behalf of PM USA.

“We believe that there are compelling reasons why the Illinois Supreme Court should do so again and reverse the intermediate court’s unprecedented ruling.

“We look forward to the opportunity to present our arguments before the court.”

The case is Price v. Philip Morris Incorporated: case number 00-L-112.