CHICAGO (Standard&Poor's) April 30, 2014--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings and outlook on Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc. (BBB+/Stable/A-2) are currently not affected by the Fifth District Court of Appeals' decision to order reinstatement of the 2003 judgment against Philip Morris USA (PM USA) in the Price "Lights" class action case. We believe the appellate court's decision to reinstate the $10.1 billion judgment is stayed automatically while PM USA seeks immediate review by the Illinois Supreme Court. We think it is possible the Illinois Supreme Court could reverse the appellate court's decision. This in part reflects the history of the case, including the Illinois Supreme Court's 2005 decision to overturn a trial court's $10.1
