United States v. Philip Morris USA

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff,

V. Civil Action No. 99-2496 (PLF)

PHILIP MORRIS USA INC., et al.,

Defendants.

ORDER #133 —- REMAND REFERRAL TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE

The Court has previously set forth procedures for the review and disposition of the documents stored in the Minnesota Tobacco Document Depository (“the Depository”). See Memorandum Opinion and Order #119 — Remand [Dkt. No. 6479]; Memorandum Opinion and Order #120 — Remand [Dkt. No. 6480]. For a specific subset of documents — the Chambers’ Files from Judge Fitzpatrick’s chambers in the Minnesota litigation (“Chambers’ Files”) — the Court ordered the defendants and non-party entities to “securely transmit to the Court copies of all documents that have been designated as privileged or otherwise shielded from public disclosure for in camera review.” Memorandum Opinion and Order #1 20 — Remand [Dkt. No. 6480] at 2. The entities have since produced to the Court the documents that have been designated as privileged or shielded from public disclosure, as well as corresponding privilege

logs. See Notice of Filing Certain Privilege Logs in Response to Orders #119 and #120-Remand [Dkt. No. 6483]. It is hereby ORDERED that the in camera review of the Chambers’ Files documents is

referred to Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya for a report and recommendations, if necessary, about the appropriate disposition of the remaining documents, including whether any documents

previously designated as privileged or otherwise shielded from public disclosure are appropriate

for public disclosure. \

O40 Aft —

PAUL L. FRIEDMAN United States District Judge

SO ORDERED.

DATE: la | [23