Louisiana Sets Plan for Cigarette Maker Trial

In a blow to the tobacco industry, the Louisiana Supreme Court has ordered a plan for a class-action trial that will first focus a jury’s attention on whether cigarette makers conspired to keep smokers hooked.

The suit, filed in 1996, asks for the tobacco industry to pay for smoking cessation programs and medical monitoring for Louisiana smokers. The trial’s first phase will concentrate on such issues as the marketing of cigarettes to children, alleged manipulation of nicotine levels and whether the industry engaged in fraud and conspiracy.