The U.S. Supreme Court turned aside a major push by tobacco companies to review the constitutionality of several million-dollar jury verdicts that will compensate the families of dead smokers. Bloomberg, Reuters, UPI, and Sunshine State News have coverage. These are the first of the so-called Engle cases tried and reviewed by the Florida courts. Bloomberg reports that “[a]bout 8,000 post-Engle cases claiming death and injury from smoking are pending against Reynolds, Altria Group Inc. (MO) and other U.S. cigarette makers in Florida state and federal courts.”

The cases are R.J. Reynolds Co. v. Gray, No. 11-272, R.J. Reynolds Co. v. Martin, No. 11-274; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Hall, No. 11-755; and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Campbell, No. 11-756.

Mr. Gregory G. Katsas of Jones Day represented the petitioners. CCL’s Robert S. Peck was counsel of record for the respondents in the Gray and Martin appeals. With him on the briefs was Valerie M. Nannery.