Tobacco Farmers Awarded $100 M

Source from:  bucyrustelegraphforum.com LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) 12/21/2007

A final judgment in a four-year-old lawsuit against Lexington-based Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association will give thousands of current and former tobacco growers about $100 million. The judgment entered Wednesday will result in payments to more than 198,000 producers in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. In a statement, the co-op said about $50 million will be mailed to farmers in early January, but farmers' attorney Robert Maclin said he hopes to get the first checks out this year. Attorneys will receive 15 percent of the settlement and the eight original plaintiffs will each receive a special payment of $10,000. Farmers will receive equal shares of the remaining 85 percent. Enditem