Jury selection for state’s case against Juul, Altria begins Monday
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The State of Minnesota is making its case against e-cigarette giant Juul and tobacco company Altria starting Monday.
As previously reported earlier this month, the trial comes after a Hennepin County judge rejected the defendants’ latest efforts to weaken or dismiss the state’s claims against the companies.
Juul and Altria allegedly engaged in consumer fraud, negligence and created a public nuisance by using marketing practices aimed at children.
Minnesota has the first case against Juul to go on trial since more than a dozen states sued the company beginning in 2019. Attorney General Keith Ellison first filed the state’s lawsuit in December of that year.
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Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, and the trial is expected to finish by April 14.
5 INVESTIGATES previously reported that Juul recruited public health researchers in an effort to legitimize its business, including a researcher from the University of Minnesota. The company later said it stopped soliciting that research after reviewing its practices.
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