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TRENTON ( AP ) Lawyers for plaintiffs in the massive litigation over withdrawn painkiller Vioxx are banding together a legal " dream team " that plans to push all their future lawsuits into state courts , considered less friendly to defendant Merck & Co.Houston lawyer Mark Lanier and New York attorney Perry Weitz have put together a legal team of at least 10 law firms and 350 lawyers around the country , Lanier told The Associated Press in an interview Monday.In addition to pushing the lawsuits to state courts , the effort is aimed at forcing Merck to start " trying to resolve cases fairly " with settlements instead of fighting each in court , Lanier said . There , in the infamous " promenade " - - a wide horseshoe-shaped bar and lobby space behind the first tier of gallery seats , with an open view of the auditorium and the stage - - high-priced prostitutes and elegantly-dressed gentlemen would make their assignations . " They did n't say she did , either , " said Horn.The back-and-forth was one of several testy , rapid-fire exchanges in morning testimony , which at one point prompted the court stenographer to ask Superior Court Judge Carol E. Higbee to stop Tyberg and Horn from talking at the same time.Humeston , 60 , of Boise , Idaho , is one of about 6,500 former Vioxx users suing Merck over the drug , which it pulled off the market in September 2004 after long-term use was linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.Horn also questioned Tyberg about his claim that stress from an ongoing probe of Humeston by U.S. Postal Service investigators helped trigger the heart attack . This way , you will be able to do many things : 1 ) conduct discussions outside of class , 2 ) ask for information on what we did in class if you miss a meeting , 3 ) test paper ideas out on each other , 4 ) brainstorm regarding the final exam , etc. There was weight behind it , so much weight that , after opening the door three and four inches and peering inside , he had to put his shoulder to it in order to close it again . At every point , we will attempt to register the shifting complexity of the connection between two genres that emerged simultaneously for similar reasons , shared many interests and concerns , and yet in the end differed so profoundly from one another . In short , you should allow yourself around 1-2 hours per day to read for this course . " Future Search is a dynamic , two-and-a-half-day planning meeting first developed in Philadelphia and used by groups around the world to transform and enhance an organization or community 's capability for cooperative action - - even if participants have had no prior contact and / or if they do n't typically work together . " That is the most important fact in this case , " said Sullivan.Cox-2 drugs inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme , which promotes inflammation , but protect users against stomach bleeding and ulcers , unlike other anti-inflammatory drugs.Agreeing with Humeston 's lawyers that the best evidence in the case was Humeston himself , Sullivan insisted his physical condition he had elevated blood pressure , was overweight and was under stress from a dispute with his U.S. Postal Service bosses triggered the Sept. 18 , 2001 heart attack , not Vioxx.She said there was doubt whether Humeston took the drug on the night of his heart attack , as he testified.Humeston had been given a 30-pill Vioxx prescription in May 2001 but did n't use it all because he said it was n't working for him . Each was principally concerned with things that had historically been regarded as outside the purview of published , respectable writing - - the inner thoughts and everyday habits of persons , whether real or imagined , great or small . " I would be surprised if Merck would just cave [ and settle cases ] simply based on having to have lawyers run in a lot of different directions , " said Deborah Barnard , a Boston lawyer specializing in product liability cases.But New York attorney Michael London , who is handling more than 100 Vioxx lawsuits but is not on Lanier 's team , said Lanier 's strategy is a good one because it makes things less predictable for Merck.With nearly all the lawsuits so far filed either in New Jersey or federal court and just two judges overseeing those cases now , London said , Merck can expect consistent rulings and know when its cases will be scheduled for trial.Merck can automatically move to federal court any class action cases , although that 's a tiny minority so far , and any cases filed in state courts outside of New Jersey.If the plaintiff in the state court also names a second defendant , such as a doctor or pharmacy , in that plaintiff 's home state , usually the case cannot be moved to federal court . Towards the end of the century , as the theatrical profession became more respectable , acting was no longer the exclusive province of theatrical families , social outcasts , and women of loose morals - - the class of people that centuries before had been legally classified as " rogues and vagabonds " ; and respectable , educated people from the middle classes could now enter the profession without too much social stigma . The drugs block the Cox-2 enzyme that promotes inflammation , but protect the stomach lining , unlike other anti-inflammatory drugs.There is no proof that either short-term or long-term use of the now-withdrawn painkiller leads to increased risk of serious cardiovascular complications , according to Gaziano , one of Merck 's final witnesses in the seven-week trial . For the first time in all the years he had known her she parted from him with no smile and no wave of her long arm . Throughout the century , whole scientific disciplines grew up around the threatening figures of criminals , homosexuals , paupers and hysterical women ; while even such seemingly innocuous topics as masturbation , nervousness and dirt were pervaded by a sense of danger and disgust . ATLANTIC CITY ( AP ) The judge in the second Vioxx product liability trial delivered a stunning blow to Merck on Friday morning when she struck the testimony of its first defense witness from the record.With the jury outside , Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee said she felt misled and sickened upon rereading the transcript of Thursday 's testimony by a Merck researcher who said studies by the company in the late 1990s showed the pain reliever would not cause heart damage.Higbee struck the testimony of Merck researcher Dr. Briggs Morrison from the record because she said he is not an expert on the studies he had told the jury about Thursday , nor did Merck give the court sufficient notice about what he would discuss . The weather had broken ; it was a raw and gusty day ; and she had to force her way against the wind that set her ample skirts bellying about her opulent figure and her veil spinning and streaming behind her . It appeared that it was himself who was to be put into it ; and as they lifted him up he saw that the inspector tried to stand between him and something that stood behind the cab , but was not quick enough to prevent Oleron seeing that this something was a hooded stretcher . Sorries - - We're not making a compelling case to groups outside ourselves ; our internal focus keeps us from communicating with our colleagues ; our loss of credibility with key decision makers ; that we've had to contort our missions to pursue funding . You often learn from yourself as you speak , and you will frequently produce ideas and theories as a class by building on and occasionally challenging each other 's comments . Damages there will be cut to about one-tenth of the jury 's $ 253 million award due to that state 's caps on punitive damages.Much of the seven-week trial , eagerly watched by lawyers and plaintiffs from around the country , relied on the testimony of medical experts . For many minutes the calling behind his door continued ; then suddenly it ceased . " It 's unlike any pain I ever felt , " Frederick Mike Humeston said of his heart attack .