Keep an Eye on This Tobacco Trial

From Reuters via Yahoo! News: "Tobacco Case Nears Trial, Questions Remain," by Peter Kaplan--

With opening arguments set for Tuesday, observers of the largest racketeering case in history say the outcome could still depend on twists and turns outside the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler.

The racketeering lawsuit, filed by the Clinton administration in 1999, could be drastically curtailed or snuffed out entirely by an appeal still pending, or a settlement in the aftermath of the November presidential elections, say financial analysts and anti-smoking groups.

If it runs its course, the trial is expected to take about six months and feature testimony from more than 100 witnesses. Even before it begins, the two sides will have exchanged nearly 120 million documents.