Arnold v. Commonwealth, ex rel. Chandler

LAMBERT, Chief Justice.

Sixteen months after entry of a final judgment reflecting settlement of litigation brought by the Commonwealth against a number of tobacco companies, Appellants moved to intervene for the purpose of asserting claims to the settlement proceeds. The trial court denied intervention as untimely and Appellants appealed. The issue before this Court is whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying intervention.

To resolve threatened litigation, forty-six states, six other jurisdictions and several tobacco companies entered into a Master Settlement Agreement, (MSA).…