Attorney General's News Release

April 25, 2000

Supreme Court accepts tobacco case; Nixon seeks expedited review

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon announced today he will seek expedited review of the state's tobacco case by the Missouri Supreme Court, after the court accepted transfer by four parties seeking to intervene in the state's historic $6.7 billion settlement with the tobacco companies.

"I will do all that is within my power to expedite review of this case by the court, so that Missouri can reap the benefits of this unprecedented settlement as soon as possible," Nixon said. "I have instructed our special counsel Tom Strong to have a request for expedited review on file with the court tomorrow."

Currently $187 million of the $6.7 billion settlement is being held in escrow and will be available to the state once the litigation has ended. Missouri is one of only five states yet to receive money from the tobacco settlement. (Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arizona have not yet received settlement money due to protracted litigation.)

The St. Louis City Circuit Court approved Nixon's settlement in March 1999 and denied attempts to intervene by four separate groups. In January, the Eastern District Court of Appeals rejected the attempts of the intervenors, noting that each intervenor has an adequate forum for bringing its own claims and the state's settlement does not impair the interests of the would-be intervenors.

"I hope this delay will not place Missouri last in line of all fifty states to reap the benefits of this settlement," Nixon said.

Missouri has the second highest teen smoking rate in the country with a smoking rate among high school students of more than 40 percent. At the middle school level, more than 47 percent of the students report they have smoked a cigarette. Nixon noted that Florida's aggressive anti-smoking campaign has produced an unprecedented 54 percent decline in middle school tobacco use and a 24 percent drop in tobacco use by high school students.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818