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Oregon's high court upholds $80 million Philip Morris judgment SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The state Supreme Court says the reason an 80 (m) million dollar jury award to the family of a man who died of lung cancer is NOT excessive -- is because it was "reprehensible" conduct of tobacco giant Philip Morris. The court said: Philip Morris knew that smoking caused serious and sometimes fatal disease, but it nevertheless spread false or misleading information. The decision upholds a 1999 Multnomah County jury award in punitive damages to the family of Jesse Williams. He was a janitor who died in 1997 of lung cancer at the age of 67. The tobacco company said today it would comment on the ruling after reviewing it. An attorney for Williams' family, James Coon, applauded the ruling. He said the Supreme Court's language was on target in describing the conduct of Philip Morris and its executives.
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