Looking for a variety of reports about the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial? Sorry, you aren’t going to find many. Linda Deutsch appears to be the only reporter consistently covering this important trial.  Why is this important?  California Attorney General Jerry Brown is very concerned about the rash of celebrity deaths from prescription drugs and the trend must stop. “Just because it’s in a nice little package and has a name on it and a date and a doctor’s name under it, doesn’t mean that it can’t kill you,” he said.

The list of dead celebrities gets longer and reported addicts are being outed with the lucky ones being forced into rehab. And don’t forget the reality television show about celebrity addicts called “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”. One of the defendants Dr.Kapoor in the Anna Nicole Smith trial once advertised himself as an “Entertainment Doctor”. But what does that have to do with a reporter and the judge on the case? Hold on, I’ll get to it.

Background

More than 20 felony drug charges were brought against Howard K. Stern, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor because boat loads of drugs were being prescribed for Anna Nicole Smith. Fake names, misspelled names  and borrowed names were used to procure the same drugs that killed the late model and occasional actress. Warnings issued by pharmacists to Stern and both doctors that drug combinations and amounts ordered would kill the patient, were ignored.

After the sudden and unexpected death of Anna Nicole’s son Daniel there is no doubt that the woman was depressed however, not one single antidepressant was found in her system after her death. What was found were downers. That’s right. A horribly depressed woman was prescribed downers.  The autopsy report showed that she had ingested Klonopin, Valium, Oxazepam and Lorazepam which are all anti-anxiety medicines aka tranquilizers. Methadone which is only supposed to be prescribed for the most severe pain or surgery was found in her liver bile. Methadone is also what killed Daniel.

Tranquilizers make a person less anxious by slowing down the central nervous system to produce a calm affect.  Ok, maybe one of them for Anna Nicole but four at the same time? In addition to that she was also taking Chloral Hydrate which is a rarely used and dangerous sleeping medication. Benadryl was in Anna Nicole’s system too. Benadryl has been found to enhance the affects of other drugs and alone makes a lot of people feel drowsy. Does that sound like Stern and the doctors were trying to help Anna Nicole? If a random blogger knows that you don’t take those six to seven medications in combination, why doesn’t a lawyer and two doctors know that?

The trial. What is really happening?

So here is the problem. Except for a few stragglers, veteran Associated Press reporter Linda Deutsch is speaking for the media in this case. She actually is, because if you “Google” any key words associated with the trial, 95% of the coverage is her articles rewritten and re-posted. What is wrong with that? Deutsch is said to be “pro-defendant.” I visited a blog called “Trials and Tribulations” written by a lady who is called “Sprocket”. This is what she had to say about Linda Deutsch.

It’s been widely recognized on every crime form/message board I’ve ever read for the past four years, that Linda Deutsch’s reporting is obviously biased towards the defense side of the case. This is not a new opinion I’ve developed since attending this trial. I’ve felt this way for a long time. When I was covering the Robert Blake trial, I read as many of the reporters that I could and back then I often wondered if Linda and I were watching the same trial. Don’t get me wrong. I have a ton of admiration for Linda. She is a world famous reporter, and is highly respected among her peers. And, you will not find one of her colleagues who will go on the record and publicly say she is pro defense. I also have to note that I’ve often seen Linda in very warm conversations with virtually every member of the defense team on this case.

I also found a site who ranked “America’s Worst Journalists” and why.

Blogger Roscoe Daily ranked Deutsch the 11th worst journalist due to……wait for it……..“BIAS.”

There are more complaints out there in comments by bloggers and forum members and I know what I feel when I read her articles. I even read accusations of napping during trials. Deutsch has been a reporter for over 40 years so I guess that is not unexpected. But if  true, let her take her nap at a fashion show or she can cover when Larry Birkhead has leaked a big media event happening in the swing set area of his local playground.

The Judge

That brings us to Judge Perry. Did he really say these things? Or is the reporter taking his words out of context?

The death of Daniel Smith is irrelevant.

Why? The methadone that killed him was most likely supplied by one of the doctors on trial and it did not just walk into the house that Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern occupied and then fly to the hospital where Daniel died all by itself.

Perry said outside the jury’s presence that he was concerned about the prosecution’s case.

“It’s the people’s position that Anna Nicole was kept in a drugged state,” Perry said. “They claim she was a pawn in the hands of her handlers and doctors who kept her in a drugged state to control her and her money.”

The evidence so far does not support that, he said.

“I’m seeing a strong-willed person who ordered people around and was her own boss,” Perry said.

The trial just started.  He answered his own statement though. She may have been strong willed but was kept drugged because it was easier to control her. 

Its too bad that the DA has to not only argue with the defense but the judge too.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose protested that she could understand the court’s rulings if the case was going to be decided by a judge. “But this is a case for a jury.” she said.

The judge told Rose he saw the issues in the case as limited to whether Smith was an addict who was getting too many drugs and whether prescriptions were obtained under false names.

The judge is limiting the states case?

He said he was unable to tell whether Smith’s demeanor in the 2004 American Music Awards videotape was the result of drugs or her normal acting style at staged events. He pointed out that a second video given to him by the defense showed Smith making statements four days later that the appearance helped her career.

“She’s fairly entertaining and at her voluptuous best,” Perry said. “It is, in the court’s view, a very strong representation of the Anna Nicole personality … My question is, is any of this real.”

I think its inappropriate for a judge to remark about any woman being “voluptuous.”

Of course its “real”, Anna Nicole nor her handlers cared about her appearing in public drunk, smashed or wasted on drugs. Some actually profited from it. Larry Birkhead included.

Perry went on to say, “The problem I have with this case is we have a very public figure …. We are a movie-watching, TV-watching nation. And as the defense has said, what we see on television is not always real.”

When jurors returned to the courtroom, they were shown the AMA video as well as a pre-interview in which Smith touted her weight loss on a product she was promoting. In both segments, she waved her arms and was speaking with a slight slur.

Judge Perry has ruled that numerous pieces of evidence can not be used. He barred the infamous “Clown Video”, he said the cause of her death could  not be discussed even though the cause was “drug overdose”. Perry told experts and pharmacists to “tone down their remarks.”  Why must those witnesses tone down their remarks when they are recounting what was actually said?

The defendants are claiming they did not know that Smith was an addict. Come on!

In an exclusive interview 10 years ago, Smith told ABC News that she had serious drug problems.

“I was on prescription pain medication and I was taking too much and I went into a coma for that,” she said.

Once an addict, always an addict!

Perry also barred a taped TV interview of Smith when she left the Betty Ford Center after treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in 1996. He said it was too far removed in time from events involved in the trial.

“For you to say this lady was loaded on drugs for 10 years before these people came along — I don’t know how this helps your case,” the judge told Rose. He said jurors could be told Smith had undergone treatment at the center.

Perry also said he was uncomfortable with the prosecution’s claim that the doctors violated the law by prescribing to Smith under assumed names. Witnesses are likely to testify that is the norm in the celebrity community.

“That’s not what this case is about,” Perry said. “The case is about were they overprescribing and was she addicted.”

Perry said he might allow a brief snippet of video from a party showing Kapoor nuzzling Smith. The prosecution claims the interaction shows a breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship.

The same allegation was raised regarding photos of Smith and Eroshevich naked in a bathtub together.

The judge asked for more legal briefs on whether the photos should be admitted to show the breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship. He said he felt they showed nothing sexual beyond depicting a “playful” relationship.

For the DA to say that Anna Nicole was an addict as long as ten years ago is actually good for the prosecutions case. It was established back then she was an addict and was an addict until the day she died of her addiction. However her death did not happen by her hand alone.

And saying that two naked women in a bath tub showed only a “playful” relationship is outrageous. But did Judge Perry really say that? E! Online reports the judge said, “”None of the jurors have gotten naked and got into the bathtub with their doctors,”"..

Did the judge say he was uncomfortable about the charge of prescriptions for Smith under assumed names? If its the law, it should be upheld. If the trio are found not guilty of the assumed name part, does that mean it will be a California free for all with doctors writing any name they want on a prescription?

“I don’t know why it wasn’t tried in Florida,” the judge said. I can not imagine a judge who has trouble with the prosecutions case wondering why the case was not tried in Florida. Does he mean a murder case? All three defendants are licensed to practice their trades in California. Most of the drug activity was in California. Their residences were in California. What happened in Florida was her death. So does Judge Perry believe Anna Nicole’s death should have been tried as a homicide? Or are we not getting the full picture?

The defendants reporter…

“Ms. Rose, you are overreaching,” he (Perry) said. “Time and again you are grasping at straws. I’m very concerned about the way this case is charged and being prosecuted. If you’re going to accuse someone, you should have some evidence.”

Rose responded, “We understand the court doesn’t like the way we are putting on our case, but we have a job to do.”

*******

Here’s a great article about the problem with “court managed media”, written by a “friend of Linda Deutsch.”

Atlanta Georgia Attorney Steven Sadow representing Howard K. Stern in Los Angeles this morning spoke at a press conference after the hearing where prosecutors levied five additional felony charges against Stern in the drug overdose death of Anna Nicole Smith. Stern now faces a total of eleven felony drug charges. Two of Anna Nicole Smith’s doctors, Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich each still face six charges.

The additional charges – which had already been filed against Smith’s psychiatrist, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, and her internist, Dr.Sandeep Kapoor – are four counts of obtaining fraudulent prescriptions and one count of prescribing, administering or dispensing controlled substances to an addict.

Sadow made a couple of statements that are just not true according to public records and court documents and even a video where Anna Nicole tells about her ordeal in her own words.

Sadow said that Anna Nicole Smith was not a drug addict. NOT TRUE.  In this YouTube video before Smith met Stern she speaks about her addiction. Once an addict, always an addict. If an addict is not using, they are classified as being in recovery. Addiction can not be cured.  California Attorney General Jerry Brown in his initial complaint against the trio also designates Smith as a “known addict”.

The shear volume of drugs that she was prescribed and consumed and the types of drugs from benzodiazepines to opiates,  including the Chloral Hydrate which killed her are not indicative of normal usage. Read the full 111 page search warrant detailing the amount and depth of drugs prescribed to Smith.

Sadow said, “In August of 2006, they said she could not give birth if on the medications so they weaned her off of them and Dannielynn was born drug free.” That is NOT TRUE. This court filing starting on page 28, documents records obtained by Florida Coroner Dr. Joshua Perper detailing that Anna Nicole Smith had only her second pre-natal check-up on August 25th, 2006.

Smith admitted on the 25th to being on a dosage of 200 mg of methadone, “to rid her body of opiates”.  A Dr. Minnis in the Bahamas reduced her dosage to 50 mg but when he saw her the next visit, Smith was showing symptoms of withdrawal so Minnis increased her dosage to 100 mg.  On September 6th, Dr. Minnis detected “deceleration of the fetus” and admitted Anna Nicole to the hospital for a Cesarean Section. It was reported that Smith required a “large amount of narcotic” for pain control.

Dr. Kapoor had prescribed for Smith  from April 2004 through September 2006, while pregnant, Ambien, Clonazepam, Diazepam, Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Methadone, Klonopin, Valium, Xanax and Ativan. For patients in opiate treatment programs, benzodiazepine use represents both a barrier to recovery and a potentially life threatening situation. The combination of benzodiazepines and methadone can lead to fatal overdose.

A preliminary hearing to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed to trial is set for Oct. 5, but prosecutors plan to ask for an eight-day delay to evaluate handwriting samples taken today from Stern and Kapoor.

*A big thank you to the ladies who helped to gather the documents and factual information for this article.

What a news day yesterday in the Anna Nicole saga. I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg too.

However, my thoughts keep straying to New York where Judge Denny Chin in Howard K. Stern’s lawsuit against Rita Cosby, the author of Blonde Ambition is getting ready to release previously sealed documents. When Judge Chin rendered his decision against certain areas for Summary Judgment for Cosby, he said, “One point that I find troubling is that Anna Nicole Smith would entertain herself by watching this videotape.”  He also used the word “preposterous” according to the New York Post. He was referring to evidence presented that Anna Nicole entertained herself by watching a gay sex tape of Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern getting it on.

I have to wonder if the Judge even read the depositions and evidence presented about the type of lifestyle Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K. Stern led. I bet he will see it now because its all over the news and you can’t hardly miss it.

Lets start here at TMZ.com

“NANNIES CLAIM HOWARD K INJECTED ANNA NICOLE”

…In new court docs, the special agent (from the California investigation) claims the nannies, who worked in Smith’s Bahamas home, claimed “Stern and Dr. Eroshevich would crush pills, heat them to turn them into liquid and inject Smith.”

The nannies told the agent, “after taking the pills or being injected Smith would be ‘like you were drinking,’ often falling in the house, and sleeping for two or three days at a time….” (anyone remember bodyguard Big Moe saying basically saying the same?)

There is more out there but while this blog is not for children, its also not XXX rated. All someone has to do is use a search engine if they would like to see more. I love how Judge Chin ruled for the Bernie Madoff  case, but he needs to get his reading glasses on and admit he made a mistake when he said it was “preposterous” that Anna Nicole would watch two of her self reported lovers doing the wild thang.

Hopefully Judge Chin will read the Los Angeles Times news that broke yesterday about Smith and Dr. Eroshevich having sexual relations in a bath tub. I wonder who the photographer was?

From the Times article;

…The investigation also turned up images that authorities contend are evidence of a lack of professionalism by the doctors.

Three photos on the hard drive of Smith’s laptop show the model and Eroshevich naked and embracing in a bathtub, according to an affidavit. The photos are dated two months before Smith’s death.

Another affidavit cites video, previously aired on Inside Edition, showing Smith in a “nightclub setting” with a shirtless Kapoor who “was kissing and nuzzling” her. Kapoor’s attorney said the video was taken after a fundraiser for a charity and was the only time the two ever socialized.

An attorney for Eroshevich declined to comment on the nude photos but said the doctor’s commitment to helping Smith in her time of need was at the heart of her actions.

She “was in a position of either doing nothing and leaving a psychologically unstable person to fend for herself or attempt to help Anna even if the circumstances surrounding the treatment were less than ideal,” said lawyer Adam Braun….

A fellow blogger who posts behind the moniker “Makes u go hmmm”, discovered an excellent article today published by the LA Times.

With the October 5th preliminary hearings fast approaching  for Doctors Kapoor and Eroshevich and lawyer Howard K. Stern in connection with felony drug changes associated with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, little tidbits are slipping out into the press.

We who follow this story know that at least Eroshevich was warned about the drugs she was attempting to order for Anna Nicole.

Eroshevich wanted a medicine cabinet of pills – two  sedatives, 300 tablets of methadone, a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory drug and four bottles of a painkiller nicknamed “hospital heroin,” the LA Times said.

The amount and combination alarmed the pharmacist.  He phoned Smith’s internist and said he had no intention of filling a prescription that amounted to “pharmaceutical suicide.”

The account of the pharmacist’s warning is contained in recently unsealed affidavits written by state officials investigating the role her physicians and Lawyer Howard K. Stern played in her drug use.

The affidavits document similar admonitions from two other pharmacists and allege that Smith’s psychiatrist, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, and internist, Sandeep Kapoor, ignored obvious dangers in providing a smorgasbord of powerful and addictive drugs to a woman with a history of substance abuse.

The documents also cite evidence that both doctors separately overstepped professional boundaries by having sexual contact with their famous patient. Stern, Anna Nicole’s attorney has publicly admitted to having sexual relations with Smith as well. Even to go so far as to claim to be the father of Anna Nicole’s daughter Dannielynn.  A paternity test allegedly said the father of Dannielynn is Larry Birkhead.

And here we go…In court papers filed last week, prosecutors indicated they plan to call as witnesses those close to the former Playboy Playmate, including her bodyguard,  and Larry Birkhead, the father of her daughter Dannielynn.

Larry Birkhead will have many obsticles to overcome due to conflicting statements he has given to investigators, in court documents and to law enforcement including in the Bahamas. If the investigation goes deep enough, many suspect Larry Birkhead will be under pressure to explain his lack of involvement in getting help for Anna Nicole.  Especially when he knew his child was receiving drugs in utero from her mother. There is also the question of why Larry has not asked for next of kin status for daughter Dannielynn for these criminal charges through Marsy’s law. Some of us think we know why. Because maybe Larry does not want to appear to be an adversary to Stern. Remember how he vowed to find out what happened to Dannielynn’s brother Daniel?

Does anyone remember how the remains of Anna Nicole and Daniel are in the ground alone in a foreign country where no family can pay their respects without incurring considerable cost?

It might be fun to dig up some of those conflicting statements and declarations from the above named persons. Just to follow along with the court and all, yunno?

Update

Yesterdays article from the Los Angeles Times has been updated to add that three photos taken two months before Anna Nicole died show her and Dr. Eroshevich naked and embracing in a bathtub.

See LA Times for full story

Wednesday August 12th was set for the start of the Preliminary Hearing in the felony drug charge cases against three people who are accused of furnishing drugs to a known addict, the late Anna Nicole Smith.

Former attorney for Anna Nicole, Howard K. Stern and her two doctors, Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich were set to start an estimated two week hearing on Wednesday. Apparently, one of the defendants wants the their case to be tried separately and that created scheduling conflicts.

October 5th is the new date for the Preliminary Hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Mother of Anna Nicole Smith – Virgie Arthur Designated Next Of Kin Status To Her Daughter In CA Felony Drug Case Against Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich.

Via a filing in Virgie Arthur’s defamation and conspiracy lawsuit in Harris County, Texas, we learned from her attorney Neil McCabe that Mrs. Arthur has been designated the Next of Kin for her daughter Anna Nicole Smith in the felony drug charge case against Anna Nicole’s lawyer Howard K. Stern and two of her doctors Kapoor and Eroshevich.

Most of us remember watching the televised hearing featuring the battle to bury Anna Nicole. We saw that Mrs. Arthur was just about completely shut out of any decision making concerning her daughter. Florida statute says the spouse is the next of kin for estate purposes and then the children over 18 of course as far as decision making goes.

Its true that Anna Nicole had one surviving child, an infant, but there was a battle as to who the father was and who would speak for Dannielynn. Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead both claimed to be Dannielynn’s father. In the end, a guardian ad litem was appointed to make the decision for Dannielynn. The G.A.L voted with Stern and effectively shut out Mrs. Arthur.

Now, after a two year investigation by California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office, with some help from the DEA, Marsy’s law will involve Mrs. Arthur in the prosecution and possible conviction of those who broke the law to illegally supply Anna Nicole Smith with the drugs which caused her death.

For Mrs. Arthur, it will give her the right to be informed of all proceedings, the right to attend them and to have her representative attorney Neil McCabe with her, including attending jury selection. She will also have the right to give a victim impact statement.

Here’s the kicker. Dannielynn also has the right to be represented and can apply for next of kin status under Marsy’s law. Her father Larry Birkhead would have to do that for her. So the question is, will he? Will Larry Birkhead declare his daughter to be a victim of Howard K. Stern’s regarding the death of her mother?

The Associated Press in Los Angeles reports that Howard K. Stern and Drs. Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor appeared this morning before Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Kristi Lousteau to enter pleas to felony charges that they conspired to provide prescription drugs to Anna Nicole Smith before her overdose death two years ago.  Stern and the two doctors stand accused of six felony counts, including prescribing, administering, and dispensing a controlled substance to an addict.

The commissioner did not give the defendants the opportunity to proclaim their pleas aloud—preferring rather to elicit the defendants’ pleas by asking if they would be pleading not guilty.  The defendants answered, “Yes.”

Prosecutors allege Stern was the principal enabler in a conspiracy to provide Smith thousands of prescription pills.  City Prosecutor Renee Rose entered a motion that required each defendant to provide a handwriting sample to compare with signatures written on alleged fraudulent prescription slips seized by authorities during a massive two-year investigation. The commissioner granted the motion, without objection, that each defendant is to provide law enforcement handwriting samples.

To curb the predicted media onrush to cover the case, Commissioner Lousteau signed a protective order to ensure that at least some information pertaining to the case remain private.  She ordered that a 1,400-page brief relating to the case not be available to the public because it contains information related to ongoing Smith-related cases in New York and Texas.

After the arraignment, Stern’s defense attorney, Steve Sidow, made another showing before the press.  He said he will not object to having Stern turn in handwriting samples because it will exonerate his client of the charge of writing fraudulent prescriptions.  “He isn’t a doctor,” Sadow said. “He isn’t signing prescriptions. He isn’t issuing prescriptions. Howard K. Stern didn’t commit a criminal act.”

During the Sidow’s previous press conference on March 12, the day Stern and Kapoor were formally charged, the defense attorney stated his belief that the charges against his client were “sensational lies, speculation, rumor and gossip.”  This morning, he reiterated his stance, adding that California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s purpose for bringing charges against Stern stemmed from Brown’s political aspirations. “He wants to be governor again,” Sidow said.

Commissioner Lousteau adjourned the arraignment after scheduling a June 8 court date to determine when a preliminary hearing in the case will begin.

The three defendants were each charged with six felony counts on March 12, after a lengthy investigation carried out by the District Attorney’s Office, the state Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Medical Board and the state’s Department of Insurance.

If convicted, each faces a maximum of five years and eight months in state prison.

And so begins the official finger pointing and blame game regarding California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s decision to pursue felony drug charges against Howard K. Stern, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich.

Brown made the announcement on October 13th, 2007 that he would be investigating prescribing practices associated with the death of Anna Nicole Smith when he raided the doctors offices and then again raided Dr. Kapoors office in search of a Howard K. Stern connection on February 5th, 2009. Warrants for the arrest of Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich were issued March 13th, 2009.  

Now that charges have been brought, attorneys for Stern are citing political aspirations. Brown said the accusations are “silly” and “completely out of line.”

“The fact is that the Bureau of Narcotics, the DEA, the state Board of Medical Examiners and the Los Angeles district attorney have all validated this prosecution,” Brown said in a telephone interview. “These are serious violations of the law, this is an extensive professional investigation.”

I suspect and hope this investigation will also eventually include the death of Anna Nicole’s son Daniel Smith who died in the Bahamas mere hours after he arrived there to meet his new baby sister.

Cause of death has been stated in the press as an accidental overdose of a mixture of drugs.  But according to witnesses at the coroners inquest there was compelling testimony and evidence that Daniel died from a massive methadone overdose.

Dr. W. Lee Hearn, Miami Florida Toxicology expert who examined Daniels remains said  that Daniel was not a drug user and the overdose was not an accident but intentional. However Daniel certainly did not commit suicide.

Dr Hearn said, “if not for the methadone, Daniel Smith would not have died.” The Magistrate told the jury to come back with a verdict of suicide or non-dependent drug use. Suicide was ruled out.

The death of Daniel Wayne Smith deserves a second look.

Howard K. Stern and Khristine Eroshevich appeared in a Los Angeles criminal court on Tuesday April 7th, to request their arraignment to be re-scheduled for May 13th the original date so as to have time to conduct discovery.

Anna Nicole Smith’s mother, Virgie Arthur’s attorney Neil McCabe was scheduled to appear down the street at 10:30am to argue why Bonnie Stern’s bankruptcy stay should be lifted. A maneuver that McCabe has said in court documents was orchestrated so Ms. Stern did not have to turn over her computer in Arthur’s defamation and conspiracy suit against her and other individuals including her brother Howard.

Representing his client, McCabe was able to attend what was scheduled to be the arraignment of Stern and Eroshevich. I asked Mr. McCabe what he thought about the short hearing. He said it was uneventful and pretty much what the public saw on television. He said Howard K. Sterns attorney Krista Barth and also his former PI John Nazarian were cordial and greeted him. However, McCabe took a seat behind Stern and his attorney’s before the hearing started and Stern’s criminal attorney asked McCabe to move so he would not overhear anything.

After the arraignment hearing was over, McCabe headed down the street and argued that the stay imposed on his client Virgie Arthur’s lawsuit by Bonnie Stern’s bankruptcy be lifted. The judge told Mr. McCabe that it was a close call, but ordered from the bench to lift the stay.

When asked about the possibility of an appeal McCabe said, “When we submit an order to lift the stay, Ms. Stern has 7 days to object to the form. When it is signed, she has 10 days to file a notice of appeal.”

Now that the stay has been lifted, a hearing on Howard K. Sterns motion to recuse the judge in Arthur’s defamation case can go forward.
Arthur_vs_Stern_etal_Recusal_Hearing_Notice.pdf

Defendant Art Harris has joined with Howard K. Stern to recuse the judge in Arthur vs Stern et al.

Access Hollywood is reporting that Howard K. Stern’s arraignment date has been moved from May 13th to April 7th. They say the date was moved to coincide with that of Dr. Khristine Eroshevich.

Eroshevich, Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor are all charged with several felony drug charges in connection with the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Read the full article.

Felony complaint for arrest warrant.

According to Page2Live.com, Florida State Attorney General Mike Satz has hinted the investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith may be reopened.

This news comes out of Florida, where Anna Nicole Smith died of a drug overdose that was declared to be “accidental”,  after the arrests of Howard K. Stern, Dr Khristine Eroshevich and Dr Sandeep Kapoor on felony drug charges in connection with the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

Although no decision has been made, a spokes person from the attorney generals office issued this statement;

“Our prosecutors have met with representatives of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Justice and discussed the evidence they have turned up in their investigation. We are now examining that evidence to see where it might lead in relation to Ms. Smith’s death here in Broward County in 2007,” he said in a prepared statement.