Judge Dismisses Some Charges In Anna Nicole Case
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The judge in the Anna Nicole Smith drug conspiracy case acquitted her boyfriend-lawyer Howard Stern on Wednesday of two charges of obtaining drugs for her by fraud and deceit including use of false names.
Superior Court Judge Robert Perry also dismissed part of a conspiracy count against Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, ruling there was insufficient proof that the two men conspired to obtain controlled drugs through fraud and deceit.
Perry allowed the balance of that conspiracy charge to stand and ruled the bulk of the 11-count complaint would go to the jury for verdicts.
Stern, Kapoor and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to prescribe, administer and dispense a controlled substance to an addict. They are not charged in Smith's 2007 overdose death.
Perry accepted arguments by the defense that because Stern is not a doctor, he would not have known if there were problems with the legality of prescriptions written by Kapoor.
"I don't think there's evidence that a layperson knows it's illegal to write a prescription in another name for a celebrity," the judge said.
Defense lawyers had hoped for more dismissals based on the judge's critical comments regarding the prosecution case through the trial. Perry previously indicated some charges would likely be dismissed.
"I think there are weaknesses in the prosecution's case, " Perry said Wednesday. "But my inclination is to let it go to the jury."
Closing arguments have been set for Monday.
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