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Anna Nicole Smith Trial Begins today in Downtown
After her death, this photo was seen around the world on CNN | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist
Following the legal escapades of Lindsay Lohan, Hollywood's next big celebrity court drama begins today. In fact, it's big enough that the LAPD is sending out alerts to the media, which usually doesn't happen with cases downtown, about the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial. After her 2007 death from "acute combined drug intoxication," Smith's boyfriend Howard K. Stern and Drs. Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor "face 23 felony charges, including three counts of conspiracy to dispense and administer controlled substances to a known addict," according to CNN. They additionally stand accused of using false names to obtain drugs for her, but defense attorneys say it was done to protect her privacy.
Judge Robert Perry allowed the trial to go on last year after 13-day hearing where he concluded there was probable cause to try the defendants for allegedly conspiring to provide drugs to a known addict. "Evidence in the record strongly suggests she was an addict," he said, saying the doctors may have "blinded by the celebrity of their patient."
The jury was sworn in yesterday, after a lengthy selection period.