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Abeautiful blonde celebrity has been making cameo appearances in a downtown courtroom.The woman is Anna Nicole Smith, a one-time Playboy model who died in 2007 of a drug overdose. Those on trial are her former lawyer-boyfriend and two doctors, all charged with conspiring to give her excessive prescription drugs while knowing she was an addict.

The busty bombshell who sometimes slurred her words and appeared drugged. Who was she in life? Even her name was a mystery. Was she Vickie Marshall, Anna Nicole Smith, Michelle Chase, Susie Wong, Jane Brown or a number of other pseudonyms used to fill prescriptions? Was Smith a drug addict or a woman beset by so much pain from various ailments that she sought relief in medicine bottles?

Apliant victim drugged into semiconsciousness by others or a strong-willed woman who told people what to do? The jury of six women and six men will ponder those questions when the case is submitted to them, possibly next week.Superior Court Judge Robert Perry has harshly criticized the prosecution for "overreaching" and indicated he will bar some charges.


The way this case is charged and being prosecuted," he told Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose. "If you're going to accuse someone, you should have some evidence.I would hope that a prosecutor would be intent on finding the truth, not just a conviction.Now, Perry has presented both sides with a 15-page document he labeled "Thoughts," asking 50 different questions about the charges.

What evidence shows that Anna Nicole Smith took drugs to get high or obtain a euphoric state and not to relieve pain?

Dr. Perry G. Fine, clearly impressed the judge. Fine testified that even if Smith was prescribed 1,500 pills in one month for pain, it did not mean she was an addict — that clinical factors had to be considered as well as her high tolerance for opiates and sedatives.Perry sees this as central to the case and advised jurors: The number of pills is not a determinative factor in this case.

Smith's homes after she died. Much of the prosecution's case has been a laundry list of powerful medications, including Methadone, Dilaudid, Demarol, Valium, Xanax and Chloral Hydrate. Pharmacists testified about being shocked at the number of medications prescribed and one said he refused to fill.

Smith suffered from chronic pain syndrome, seizures, fractured ribs, migraine headaches, insomnia and severe back pain, as well as depression after the death of her son, Daniel.But I can see why he is concerned,she said.Even the (California) legislature has expressed concern that these statutes might be used in a way that would chill doctors from treating pain.

Veteran lawyers Steve Sadow, Ellyn Garafalo and Brad Brunon — recently made a surprise announcement that they will call no further witnesses after the prosecution rests. They say the case against their clients has not been proven.

Perry, who said he has researched the legislative intent behind the relevant laws, said he may tell jurors that to convict the defendants of prescribing to an addict they must find the prescriptions were for "non-therapeutic purposes," meaning to feed an addiction rather than treat an illness.

Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich have pleaded not guilty to an array of charges, including conspiracy to provide excessive controlled substances, prescribing to an addict, and obtaining drugs by fraud — some prescribed under false names.

Examined every prosecution witness and the judge said they succeeded in destroying the credibility of several, including two nannies flown in from the Bahamas. Sadow accused one of them of outright perjury.The prosecution summoned up Smith's video images to suggest she was addicted — showing her at the American Music Awards.

He asked whether nine prosecution witnesses should be considered accomplices and jurors should be warned to treat their testimony with caution. These included pharmacists and doctors who prescribed to Smith under pseudonyms, a common practice with celebrities.A former federal prosecutor of drug cases, said this case was overcharged and Perry will probably pare it down to the bare minimum he feels can be supported by law.

Prosecutors used photos of Smith naked in a tub with Eroshevich and pictures of Kapoor kissing Smith after riding with her in a gay parade to show that the doctors blurred the line of their professional relationship with Smith.

Monday on dismissal motions, but indicated some charges will likely survive in some form.He wants arguments to be limited to two issues: whether Smith was an addict and whether prescriptions.

Convictions could send a message that would inhibit doctors from prescribing pain medications and treating celebrities.They will feel that big brother is looking over their shoulder,she said.And even though we do want monitoring to keep the public safe.

Hollywood actress Paris Hilton will be getting a little something in the mail from Hallmark this year.The socialite has settled a lawsuit against the company over a greeting card that featured a scene seemingly ripped from her old reality show "The Simple Life."

The caption read "Paris's First Day as a Waitress" and made a pun on her trademarked catch phrase, "That's Hot." In 2007, Hilton sued, claiming her publicity rights had been violated.Last week, attorneys for Hilton and Hallmark advised a California judge that they had reached a settlement. A confidentiality provision limits the release of exact terms.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which handed Hilton a huge legal victory last year. The appeals court rejected Hallmark's protected-speech argument and raised doubts that the greeting card was "transformative" expression.

The two sides have been preparing for a December trial. Evidence was being collected to ascertain the commercial value of Hilton's endorsement.Hilton's name will be stamped in law review articles discussing the tricky balance between publicity rights and the First Amendment-but we may never know exactly.

Paris Hilton at Narita International Airport for a second day Wednesday while they decide whether she will be admitted to the country after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in Las Vegas.

Her arrival in Japan on Tuesday, one day after her plea, according to an e-mailed statement by Hilton's representative, Dawn Miller.Hilton spent the night at an airport hotel after being questioned by officials. She was scheduled to appear at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday to promote her fashion and fragrance lines.

We are continuing the immigration process to determine whether she can enter Japan or not," said Kazuo Kashihara, an immigration official at Narita.He declined to give a reason for the delay, but under Japanese law, immigration authorities are empowered to deny entry to those who have been convicted of drug-related offenses.The front desk at her hotel said calls to her room could not be connected.

Both countries have strict anti-drug laws and immigration procedures, and it was unclear whether Hilton would continue her travels.Paris was contractually bound to her business trip and didn't want to let down her brands and many Asian fans, the statement said. "She intended on fulfilling her contract and is trying hard to do the responsible thing, but this is beyond her control.

When an officer found a small amount of cocaine in her purse. She pleaded guilty Monday to drug possession and obstructing an officer and was placed on informal probation for one year.The terms of her sentence did not restrict travel overseas.We have no legal basis to restrict her from traveling throughout the United States or throughout the world.

Her attorney said Monday that she planned to complete the service by volunteering with animal advocacy groups and children's hospitals.Hilton served 23 days in a Los Angeles-area jail in 2007 after she was found to have violated her probation on an alcohol-related reckless driving case.She also was detained in South Africa in July during the World Cup on suspicion of marijuana possession, but the allegation was dropped when another woman in her group pleaded guilty to carrying the drug.

Singer Cher's final curtain on her headline show on the Las Vegas Strip is set for Feb. 5 after about 200 shows.Officials at the Caesars Palace hotel-casino said Tuesday that tickets for Cher's final run of shows starting Jan.


The last show ends a three-year residency for the iconic singer known for over-the-top costumes, elaborate showmanship and hits spanning several decades.Cher's departure from the 4,300-seat Colosseum theater will come about one month before Celine Dion returns March 15 to start her second engagement. Her first five-year run grossed more than $400 million.

In Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive or vote, glimpsing equality only during vacations away from the kingdom. But many women in Islamic countries long ago broke through the image of the black-veiled wife peeking from behind courtyard walls.