Philip Morris Urges Illinois Court to Toss $10 Billion Smokers' Verdict

A $10.1 billion verdict against Philip Morris USA over misleading consumers about the safety of "light" cigarettes should be overturned, lawyers for the company argued in the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday. Former Illinois governor Jim Thompson, arguing for Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc, said the Supreme Court's 2005 ruling should stand. On behalf of the class of smokers, attorney David Frederick said consumers deserved to be compensated for what he called "the most massive fraud in American history." Instead of seeking damages for health problems, the Illinois plaintiffs sought to recover money they said they had spent on cigarettes because of deceptive marketing.