Take A Toke

The lead attorney in the government's landmark racketeering case against the tobacco industry retired from the Justice Department yesterday, saying her politically appointed bosses showed little support for her or her team's work on the case.

Sharon Y. Eubanks had led a group of career government lawyers who this summer recommended a $130 billion penalty against the tobacco industry, in part to fund smoking-cessation programs for millions of Americans. Her supervisors, appointees at the department, scaled back the proposal to $10 billion.