Judge orders cigarette maker to pay $6 billion toward appeal bond

(Edwardsville, Illinios-AP) -- Philip Morris USA got a partial reprieve Monday. <br><br>An Illinois judge cut in half the amount that the nation's biggest cigarette maker must come up with to begin

Monday, April 14th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Edwardsville, Illinios-AP) -- Philip Morris USA got a partial reprieve Monday.

An Illinois judge cut in half the amount that the nation's biggest cigarette maker must come up with to begin appealing a $10-billion verdict over how it marketed light cigarettes.

The decision also will preserve Philip Morris' ability to make a $2.6-billion payment due Tuesday.

The payment is owed to 46 states, including Oklahoma.

It was ordered under a 1998 tobacco settlement worked on by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson.