This material is copyrighted and may not be republished without permission of the originating newspaper or wire service. PioneerPlanet is a service of the Pioneer Press . The suit seeks billions of dollars from cigarette makers for the cost of treating smoking-related diseases.
Courts generally protect the privilege of lawyer-client confidentiality.
Industry lawyers packed a small courtroom in the Ramsey County Courthouse to argue that Big Tobacco's lawyer-held documents contain legitimately protected legal analyses, opinions, client communications and special research undertaken to answer litigation or regulation questions. None of that research was hidden, he added. Lawyers for the attorney general and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which are suing the tobacco industry, have charged in court papers that tobacco industry attorneys controlled research grants, and arranged for sensitive research to take place under the protection of lawyer-client privilege. Industry lawyers didn't deny that some lawyer-controlled special research projects took place and remain confidential. But details about those matters were presented to the special master in secret so as not to disclose privileged information before a judge issues a ruling.