Widdick v. Brown & Williamson
"The Tobacco Conspiracy Trial"
Former Maddox Colleagues Continue to Contradict Family's Claims; Closing Arguments Expected Monday
(June 5) As its case drew to a conclusion, Brown & Williamson continued to present a parade of former colleagues of the late Roland Maddox who claimed that Maddox knew about the hazards of smoking and referred to his cigarettes as "cancer sticks."
Four of Maddox's former co-workers at Winn Dixie testified that Maddox smoked Marlboro Lights, not Brown & Williamson's Lucky Strike, during breaks and that he would refer to his cigarettes as "cancer sticks" and "coffin nails." One witness said that he would use this term sometimes when he talked to the customers he knew. One witness also claimed that Maddox would laugh at her when she would warn him not to smoke. Brown & Williamson's strategy was designed to undermine the Maddox family's claims that Maddox smoked only Lucky Strike and that he was never aware of smoking's dangers.
These witnesses also contradicted claims by Maddox's widow, Barbara, and his daughter, Angela Widdick, that he never followed the news or current events. They said that Maddox often was seen reading a newspaper. While one witness claimed that Maddox was nicknamed "the answer man" because he was knowledgeable about current events, another said that he followed politics and knew the local politicians by name. Jurors also saw the videotaped testimony of Maddox's former son-in-law Gene Gladstone, who said that Maddox enjoyed smoking, knew it was dangerous, and referred to his cigarettes as "stoogies" and cancer sticks. Gladstone's account of Maddox's smoking habits at home diverged from the plaintiffs' testimony in some key respects. Not only did Gladstone hear Maddox use the terms "cancer sticks" and "coffin nails" in the presence of Angie Widdick and his wife Margaret, he also said that Maddox referred to filter-tips as "mufflers." He also said that Maddox liked to snap the filters off of any filtered cigarettes that he possessed. Gladstone said he was never aware of any efforts by his father-in-law to quit. He did testify, however, that Maddox only smoked Lucky Strikes.
During cross-examination, plaintiff lawyers tried to insinuate that Brown & Williamson attorneys had coached these co-workers' testimony. They also tried to undermine their credibility by claiming that they did not know Maddox's habits or personality. However, each witness denied being coached, saying that Brown & Williamson attorneys had only instructed them to "tell the truth."
Closing arguments by both sides are expected to take place when court resumes Monday morning.
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