A Multnomah County jury on Thursday awarded $25 million in a low-tar tobacco verdict against Philip Morris.

Ten years ago, a county Circuit Court jury awarded $150 million for punitive damages in the case after finding Philip Morris deceived a low-tar cigarette smoker into thinking she'd chosen a healthier alternative. A judge later reduced the amount to $100 million and

the award because of the way the jury was instructed to deliberate.

how reprehensible the tobacco maker's actions were in causing the death of Salem resident Michelle Schwarz. The jury could have awarded up to $300 million. Jurors were not told about the original verdict of $150 million.

An attorney for Schwarz's estate, Chuck Tauman, said he was pleased with Thursday's verdict.

Juror John Vanvleet, 49, said the award amount was a compromise by the jury.

"Eight of us were on the very low end and four of us were on the high end," he said. "We came to a benchmark where we settled."

The benchmark discussed ranged between $25 and $50 million, Vanvleet said. He declined to elaborate on the factors that went into the decision.

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