Escambia County, FL - The jury in Robinsons v. R.J. Reynolds, et al. returned a $23.6 billion punitive damages award on Friday. This four week trial was filed by widow, Cynthia Robinson in 2008 after her husband passed away at the age of 36.

Florida juries decided seven separate tobacco lawsuits in the first two months of 2014, with four of the verdicts favoring tobacco companies and three in favor of former smokers and their families.

MIAMI, FL - Last week a Miami-Dade County jury awarded $4.25 million to a smoker's widow after determining cigarettes manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (NYSE: RAI) caused her husband's throat cancer. According to a Courtroom View Network webcast of the verdict being delivered, the jury assigned 15 percent responsibility to Milton Williams, therefore reducing the verdict amount from $5 million.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – This morning, R.J. Reynolds was granted a mistrial in Brown v. R.J. Reynolds, the second Engle Progeny tobacco trial that began at the Duval County Courthouse this month. Judge Adrian G. Soud originally heard Brown v. R.J. Reynolds, but recused himself after several weeks of the proceeding. Judge Charles Arnold, who previously presided over Frailey v. Philip Morris, stepped in and granted the mistrial.

Ray Fields Brown started smoking as a teenager and struggled with quitting for years. He finally quit in 1986, but there is evidence that he relapsed soon after. In 1993 Fields developed lung cancer and died two years later.

MARIANNA, FL - The only "Engle" progeny tobacco trial scheduled for March began this week in Jackson County Circuit Court.