Anna Nicole Smith case debuts in court

The continuing saga that is the life and premature death of Anna Nicole Smith starts a new and decisive chapter today as a Los Angeles court will host the preliminary hearing for three defendants accused of supplying the late model with illicit drugs.

In March, LA authorities charged two doctors, Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich, plus Anna’s boyfriend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, with ‘conspiring to provide controlled substances.’

All three pleaded not guilty

Search warrants served on the Doctors have proven that at the time of her death on February 8, 2007, Anna had prescriptions for no less than 44 medications, under nine different names — all of them fake. An autopsy revealed she had nine different drugs in her bloodstream that night, and her death was even recorded as being the result of ‘acute combined drug intoxication.’

Court papers leaked to TMZ reveal the prosecution intends to call a positive army of witnesses who were all close to Anna, including  Lary Birkhead, the father of her 3-year old daughter, Dannielynn.

Larry is the prosecution’s main witness against Howard K. Stern — but since this case started he and Stern have settled their grievances and now work together on governing Anna’s estate.  So what is Larry to do?

The hearing could last the whole week and Larry’s appearance is due on Thursday or Friday. The three defendants are facing a total of 23 felonies. If the verdict is guilty they may never see daylight again.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you advised.