Verdict Found In Smith Trial

After weeks of testimony, the case against those who allegedly provided drugs to Anna Nicole Smith was finally sent to the jury. The reality star's boyfriend-lawyer Howard K. Stern and her psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich were found guilty on certain counts, but Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, Smith’s doctor, was not convicted. Stern, Eroshevich and Kapoor were on trial for their alleged roles in procuring powerful prescription medications for Smith prior to her 2007 death.  

The trial made public the fact that Smith was dependent on drugs to relieve chronic pain, migraine headaches, depression and anxiety. The lawyer for one of the two doctors on trial insisted Smith was not a drug addict. Prosecutors disagreed. 

While not being held responsible for Smith’s death, Stern and the two doctors were accused of feeding Smith’s addiction by using false names to obtain prescription medication for her. Stern was found guilty on two counts of acting fraudulently to obtain prescriptions intended for Smith.

Kapoor prescribed the powerful painkiller Dilaudid to the troubled celebrity in 2004 following a jet-ski accident, when she allegedly obtained drugs from four different doctors around the same time. Kapoor and Eroshevich were also charged with using false names to write prescriptions for Smith, but Kapoor was cleared of all charges. Eroshevich, on the other hand, was not.

The result of the trial will likely have an impact on doctors’ already growing hesitancy to prescribe painkillers that are known to be easily abused. Prescription addiction continues to be a growing problem in the US, and one of the fastest growing areas of drug abuse.  

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