Anna Nicole Smith's ex beau, doctors enter Not Guilty plea

Anna Nicole Smith saga
Anna Nicole Smith, the voluptuous ex-Playboy model whose life provided regular fodder to yellow journalism had died Feb. 8, 2007 at the age of 39 after apparently collapsing in a Florida hotel room. It was determined at the time that she died from lethal combination of prescription pills.

Investigators had then raided the offices and residences of two of Smith's former doctors, Eroshevich and Kapoor, who treated or prescribed drugs to the model/reality TV star before her death.

Eroshevich reportedly had traveled alongside Smith on her final Florida trip and was responsible for prescribing all 11 medications found in Smith's hotel room, where she died, while doctor Kapoor had prescribed methadone to Smith shortly before she died.
Stern, who served as Smith’s lawyer for many years and also claimed to be her lover, was also arrested over speculation that he aided in the death of the actress.

After a massive investigation the prosecutors accused the trio of providing controlled substance to Smith in the years leading up to her death.

Stern, 40, Eroshevich, 61, and Kapoor, 40, each face six counts including conspiracy. However, all three defendants on Wednesday pled not guilty to the felonies.

What the Attorneys say about their Clients
"[Stern] did not commit a crime, period!" Stern's lawyer, Steve Sadow, told reporters outside the courtroom in Los Angeles. "Every one of the people in this case contends that there was no crime, because in fact, there was no crime."

Eroshevich's attorney, Adam Braun, admitted his client wrote some of the prescriptions using fictitious names for Smith, but claimed that was not done with the intention to commit fraud.

"It was done for privacy reasons," AP quoted Braun as saying. "She did the best she could under difficult circumstances in the best interest of the patient."

Kapoor's lawyer, Ellyn Garafalo, said her client is still doing his practice and his patients still have faith in him. "We have no doubt Dr. Kapoor will be exonerated," she said.

The three defendants, who were each charged on March 12 with three felony counts of conspiracy to provide a controlled substance to Smith between 2004-2007 and prescribing and/or administering drugs to an addict, and several other charges of fraudulent prescriptions, could each face up to five years and eight months in prison, if convicted.

Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner, Kristi Lousteau, ordered the three to return on June 8 to set a summer date for a preliminary hearing, which the attorneys estimate will last at least two weeks.