U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear tobacco arbitration dispute
Source: Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand lower court rulings allowing Pennsylvania and Maryland to keep tens of millions of dollars in a dispute with tobacco companies involving the massive 1998 settlement over deceptive marketing and advertising of cigarettes.
The justices declined to hear appeals, filed by Reynolds America Inc, Altria Group Inc and other companies that were part of the settlement, of rulings that had favored Pennsylvania and Maryland regarding the amount of the annual payment that those states should receive under the deal.
The dispute centered on the 2003 annual payment that companies that participated in the settlement were required to make to the various states as part of the deal.
An arbitration panel found that six states, including Pennsylvania and Maryland, had not met their side of the bargain to ensure, as required, that companies that were part of the settlement did not disproportionately lose market share as a result of the terms of the deal to competitors that shunned it.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-tobacco-idUSKCN12B1P7
U.S. | Tue Oct 11, 2016 | 9:56am EDT
By Lawrence Hurley | WASHINGTON
= new reply since forum marked as read
Must be driving the repugs crazy, 
