Limitations regarding the use of quotes
The quotes provided here reflect statements from a specific decision. Accordingly, the International Legal Consortium (ILC) cannot guarantee that an appellate court has not reversed a lower court decision which may influence the applicability or influence of a given quote. All quotes have been selected based on the subjective evaluations undertaken by the ILC meaning that quotes provided here may not accurately or comprehensively represent a given court’s opinion or conclusion, as such quotes may have originally appeared alongside other negative opinions or accompanying facts. Further, some quotes are derived from unofficial English translations, which may alter their original meaning. We emphasize the need to review the original decision and related decisions before authoritatively relying on quotes. Using quotes provided here should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter in any jurisdiction. Please see the full limitations at https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/about.
The State of Texas is seeking to recover costs incurred in providing medical care and other benefits to its citizens, including costs associated with the Medicaid program, as the result of the citizens' use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. Defendants are tobacco companies and public relations firms. The State of Texas’s Second Amended Complaint seeks to impose liability against Defendants for their manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and selling tobacco products in the United States. In response to the allegations, Defendants filed motions to dismiss the complaint contending the State failed to state a claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and other legal grounds. The District Court allowed the State to proceed with its claims under RICO while dismissing claims under antitrust laws, consumer protection statutes, and other theories.