[§328L-7]  Limitation on bond requirements
in litigation involving master settlement agreement signatories, successors,
and affiliates.  (a)  In civil litigation under any legal theory involving
a signatory, a successor of a signatory, or an affiliate of a signatory to the
tobacco master settlement agreement, the supersedeas bond to be furnished to
stay the execution of the judgment during the entire course of appellate review
shall be set in accordance with applicable laws or court rules, except that the
total bond that is required of all appellants collectively shall not exceed
$150,000,000, regardless of the amount of the judgment.



(b)  Notwithstanding subsection (a), if an
appellee proves by a preponderance of the evidence that an appellant is
dissipating assets outside the ordinary course of business to avoid the payment
of a judgment, a court may require the appellant to post a bond in an amount up
to the full amount of the judgment. [L 2004, c 157, §8]



 



Note



 



  Applies to all cases pending on or filed on or after July 1,
2004.  L 2004, c 157, §11.