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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith’s lawyer and partner, was prosecuted in California after her 2007 death over prescription drugs obtained for her under false names. A jury convicted him on two conspiracy counts, but the trial judge later dismissed those convictions. The case went through further appeals, and in 2014 the California Supreme Court ruled that a retrial could occur under a specific condition. That ruling does not establish the case’s ultimate later outcome or Stern’s current work.
Who was Howard K. Stern to Anna Nicole Smith?
Stern was Smith’s attorney and was also described in contemporaneous coverage as her manager and partner. He was involved in her public and legal affairs, including the paternity dispute concerning her daughter and litigation involving Smith’s estate.
What was the California case about?
The prosecution concerned prescription drugs obtained for Smith under false names and related conspiracy allegations. Stern and two physicians were charged in the case. The defendants were not charged with causing Smith’s 2007 accidental overdose, according to contemporaneous trial coverage. Source
How did the verdict and appeals unfold?
- Jury verdict: The jury convicted Stern on two conspiracy counts and acquitted him on the remaining counts it considered.
- Trial court ruling: The trial judge granted a new trial and dismissed the two conspiracy convictions. The court concluded that “no reasonable trier of fact could find that Howard Stern had a specific intent to violate either of these target crimes,” as recounted in the California Supreme Court’s opinion. This was the trial court’s conclusion, not the Supreme Court’s finding on guilt. California Supreme Court opinion
- Court of Appeal: The appellate court reinstated the verdicts and concluded that double-jeopardy protections barred a retrial.
- California Supreme Court, 2014: The state’s highest court reversed the no-retrial portion of that ruling. It held that Stern could be retried if the trial court granted a new trial on one of his remaining claims. The decision addressed whether a retrial was barred; it does not itself establish what ultimately happened afterward. Case coverage
What is known about Stern now?
The sources available here establish his role in Smith’s life and the proceedings through the 2014 California Supreme Court decision, but they do not establish the ultimate later disposition of the case or Stern’s present-day occupation or public activity. It would therefore be inaccurate to describe the 2014 ruling as a final resolution of the prosecution.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
Rank #4
Rank #3
Rank #2
- DVD format
- 2000; Out of print title!
- From Playboy -- Adults only please.
- From the Anna Nicole Smith DVD series
- Very rare and hard to find!
#1 Best Overall
- Factory sealed DVD
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