SPOKANE - Felony drug charges today were filed against a former Spokane County medical examiner who prosecutors say maintained a marijuana growing operation in his home and stole prescription medications from his job.

In papers filed in Spokane County Superior Court, prosecutors with the Attorney General's Criminal Justice Division accused George Richard Lindholm of two counts of drug possession.

March 20, 1997 -Olympia - Washington state Attorney General Christine Gregoire and more than 20 other state Attorneys General today have signed a precedent-setting settlement with the Liggett Group, a Delaware-based cigarette maker.  

"This settlement will finally begin to change the conduct of the tobacco industry and provide the public with information it has a right to know," Gregoire said.  

OLYMPIA -June 10, 2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it will review a Washington Supreme Court rule that requires lawyers and real estate closing officers to place client funds that cannot earn net interest for the client into a pooled account, the interest from which is then used to provide legal services to low-income persons.

SEATTLE - The Attorney General's High-Tech unit today filed a lawsuit against an Olympia man who used Internet auction sites to sell valuable, vintage baseball cards that failed to live up to their promise -- if they were ever delivered at all.

In the lawsuit filed in Thurston County Superior Court, attorneys accuse Jon Hudson of violating the state's Consumer Protection Act by:

OLYMPIA - March 19, 2001 - Washington state Attorney General Christine Gregoire today filed suit against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in a coordinated effort with four other state attorneys general to force compliance with the 1998 National Tobacco Settlement.

The Washington lawsuit, filed today in King County Superior Court, accuses the tobacco giant and manufacturer of Winston cigarettes of violating tobacco settlement limits on outdoor advertising at Winston-sponsored events at Seattle International Raceway and Evergreen Speedway in Monroe.

OLYMPIA - March 9, 1999 - State Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced today Washington will receive at least an additional $394.9 million in settlement payments from the nation's major tobacco companies.

The money is Washington's share of an $8.6 billion Strategic Contribution Fund which was created as part of last November's settlement with tobacco companies. The fund was created as an extra award for those states which played a lead role in the lawsuits against tobacco companies and the negotiations which ultimately resulted in settlement.

SEATTLE - On Wednesday, Dec. 4, a King County Superior Court judge will consider a motion by Pierce and King counties and others to halt the implementation of I-776 in those counties. The counties have asked for the injunction while the court considers the merits of their lawsuit seeking to have the initiative declared unconstitutional.

Olympia -2/22/01-Attorney General Christine Gregoire has sued a Blaine tobacco company for failing to make state-mandated payments that are set aside to cover possible judgments against the company in future state lawsuits.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Thurston County Superior Court, was brought against 3B Holdings, Inc., which manufactures and sells a roll-your-own tobacco product called "Sixty 1." Between May and December of 1999, the company sold more than 844,000 cigarettes in the state.

Olympia - 2/18/00 - Every day 3,000 kids become regular smokers. Tobacco use costs Washington taxpayers $1.3 billion in health care costs and 8,200 lives of family and friends every year. The budget released today by the House Republicans will do nothing stop this deadly epidemic and drain on our state’s health care system.

OLYMPIA -  Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced the signing of an agreement with the Walgreens drug store chain that will help curb the sale of tobacco to minors.

Walgreens, which operates 45 stores in Washington State, signed the multi-state agreement implementing in-store procedures, employee training and other protections intended to reduce youth access to tobacco products.