Antitobacco lawyers rest case in secondhand smoke trial

MIAMI (Reuter) Lawyers suing U.S. cigarette makers in a $5 billion
secondhandsmoke trial rested their case Monday, ending eight weeks
of testimony meant to convice six jurors that the tobacco industry
conspired to hide the dangers of cigarette fumes to nonsmokers. Dade
County Judge Robert Kaye ordered the defendants five cigarette
makers and two trade groups to begin their defense Sept. 17.
Before that, however, the tobacco lawyers were expected to request
that Kaye dismiss the classaction case brought on behalf of 60,000
flight attendants with lung cancer and other diseases. Hearings on
the request and other matters were scheduled for early next week.
Jury selection in the case Norma Broin et al vs Philip Morris Cos.
Inc. et al began June 2, and the lawyers for the flight attendants
called their first witness on July 16. But the last live witness
appeared Aug. 11 and the past four weeks have been filled with
videtaped testimony and readings from industry documents. Jurors last
week complained of the slow pace of the trial. ``This jury has gotten
the full story of the tobacco industry over the last half century,''
flight attendants lawyer Stanley Rosenblatt told reporters after
ending his case. Rosenblatt can offer rebuttal evidence after the
tobacco companies finish their case, estimated by court officials to
take three weeks. The flight attendants, all nonsmokers, claim their
various illnesses were caused by passengers smoking on U.S. airliners
before 1990. The tobacco companies argue that lung cancer and other
diseases tied to smoking occur no more frequently among flight
attendants than other nonsmokers. They also deny the conspiracy
claims. ^REUTER@