Public Citizen v. Liggett Group
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
858 F.2d 775 (1988)
Relevant factsFree
In a wrongful-death suit against Liggett (defendant) over cigarette warnings, the district court entered a protective order barring public dissemination of Liggett's discovery materials, later entering judgment for Liggett on preemption grounds; public-health advocacy group Public Citizen (plaintiff) intervened seeking modification of the protective order to allow the materials' release, and the district court agreed to modify it, prompting Liggett's appeal.
IssueFree
Whether a party has a legitimate privacy interest in discovery materials sufficient to automatically warrant a protective order in all cases.