Florida Jury Rules Smoking Legal Cause of Plaintiffs' Cancers
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: We have a major development this hour in Miami, in the landmark Florida smokers' trial. To bring you up to speed, in phase one of that trial, the jurors concluded that five major tobacco companies sold a defective product and then lied to consumers about the health risks of smoking. A phase two has been under consideration by the jury, they've just released their findings, and it is: that smoking was the legal cause of the plaintiffs' cancers. Now, a penalty phase will be in operation, as much as $300 billion in penalties could be levied against the manufacturers of cigarettes in this case. We are expecting a report from Miami Dade County Court any time now, and we will bring you up to speed on this story and fill you in as we go along. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web