Judge Denies Motion by Cigarette Makers

The government’s claim that tobacco companies conspired to entice children to smoke through aggressive marketing techniques can proceed as part of a $289-billion Justice Department lawsuit against the industry, a judge in Washington ruled.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler denied a motion by the companies to dismiss a section of the case that alleges a youth marketing campaign was part of a decades-long scheme to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking that violated federal racketeering laws.

The companies, including Philip Morris USA Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., have long denied that they tailored advertising campaigns to youngsters.