First we were variously entertained and outraged by the PT-Barnum performance of Judge Larry Seidlin who spent 6 days auditioning for a TV show instead of taking 6 hours to arrive at the patently-obvious decision to have Anna Nicole buried in The Bahamas.
Then there was Judge Lawrence Korda who we thought had restored judicial knowledge, temperament and dignity to the Florida bench (by punting litigation about Anna Nicole’s Will and the paternity of her baby to California and The Bahamas, respectively). Therefore, imagine our shock, dismay…and hysterical laughter when news broke last week that he was arrested for blithely smoking weed on a park bench.
Which brings me to today’s media event starring Broward County Medical Examiner Dr Joshua Perper. Because who knew that Seidlin was just an understudy to Perper when it came to doing anything to extend his 15 minutes of Anna-Nicole infamy. But this is the plot twist that has the entire world now fixated on Perper.
After all, Perper had everything he needed to determine the cause and manner of Anna Nicole’s death weeks ago. Yet he made himself the ringmaster in a circus of pundits speculating about foul play when he delayed his autopsy report – purportedly to consider new evidence. And, this delay has been made all the more farcical by media reports – um er, rumors – that this new evidence is related to the drug-induced suicidal ideations, drug solicitations and other stream-of-consciousness thoughts that Anna Nicole allegedly typed into her computer. Never mind that such thoughts are probably catalogued more reliably in her two diaries that were just sold for a half million dollars.
I am not a pathologist, and I’m not going to play one here. By the same token, however, Perper is not a detective and he should not be playing one on TV. But that’s precisely the role he’ll be playing this morning when he makes his contrived-for-TV (and thoroughly-anticlimactic) announcement. Namely, that:
Anna Nicole’s death was accidental. And, that she died from infections and other complications caused by the ingestion and/or injection of a cocktail of drugs, which was made fatal as much by her own carelessness as by the negligence of others, including Howard K. Stern, who failed to seek proper medical attention for her. Period!
Alas, anyone tuning to hear this wannabe detective announce murder charges against Howard K. Stern will be justifiably disappointed….
Inquest into death of her son Daniel in The Bahamas
Of more worthwhile interest for Anna-Nicole junkies and, I suspect, far more worrisome for Stern, is the inquest into the death of her son that is scheduled to open tomorrow in The Bahamas.
The court will take testimony from a number of witnesses, including the coroner and forensic pathologists to explain the cause (an ingestion of a more lethal cocktail of drugs in his case) and manner of death (an accident due to the unexpected but fatal chemical interaction of those drugs). Indeed, I suspect the most sensational findings will be that Stern facilitated the illegal transshipment of drugs into the country and perverted the course of justice by disposing incriminating evidence after the fact. Both of which, of course, are relatively serious crimes and would land him in jail – if found guilty as charged.
After all evidence is presented (and with 20-plus witnesses scheduled to testify, this could take two to three weeks), the 7 or 9 members of the jury will present their findings to the judge – who can reject, amend or present them as is to the prosecutors. They in turn can reject, amend or prosecute based on their discretion.
Accordingly, I predict (but don’t bet your kid’s lunch money on this) that the jury will return a verdict (by a majority) of criminal mischief against Stern with respect to the findings cited above; that he will be prosecuted; and that Stern will be found guilty and sentenced to spend a fair amount of time in our island paradise in far less accommodating confines than he has become accustomed to at the Horizons estate.
Related Articles:
Clarifying the legal mess Anna Nicole left behind
Resolving the legal mess Anna Nicole left behind
Anna Nicole autopsy
Sue says
Hi,
Just wondering from your perspective what you think of Sterns lawyers trying to have this jury dismissed and or questioning them prior to being seated on the panel, everyone seems to think this is stange what is your take
Sue
ALH ipinions says
Sue,
I appreciate your question. In fact, even though unusual (and what about this case isn’t?), Stern’s lawyer is doing exactly what is required of him to zealously represent his client.
Meanwhile, Americans should appreciate that he’s doing exactly what lawyers do during jury selection in the U.S. everyday: voir dire! (ie., questioning potential jurors about their background and thoughts to elicit biases that may disqualify them.)
Also, even though we may want a swift resolution to this case, it is clearly in Stern’s patently-suspect interest to delay, delay, delay! And this, alas, lawyers everywhere know how to do quite well; especially since it guarantees that they will be paid quite well for doing so.
For the record, the inquest into the death of Princess Diana took years; thefore, don’t be surprised if this one takes months. Perhaps it will be of some consolation, however, that the paternity and custody cases should be resolved in the interim.
Sue says
Well you pegged that appeal, Let see if you pegged it getting thrown out.. It is just amazing that a tourist can manipulate the goverment and court system of another country.. This is getting beyond just crazy
Sue says
I know they want him to testify in this inquest but can they take that baby and deport him off that island??
moondancer says
Since all of these drugs are or were found in HKS presence why is it safe for the baby to be with him ?The judges in the Bahama’s has to order a welfare check on her and they have not done this .Why? Here is a man that could be a possible suspect in her dying and they leave the baby with him why? Some of the prescriptions were in his name ,is he a drug user as well ? Has there been a drug test done on him to make sure it is safe for Dannielynn to be with him … ???
moondancer says
The biggest question I have is are The Judges in the Bahama’s intimidated by HKS attorney’s? The one Wayne Monro is the president of the bar association there so would this make people fearful of him (judges)..
repentance says
Just a small point. I understood the diaries which were recently sold to be from 1992-1994 – not much use in determining Anna’s recent state of mind.
At the Florida Probate Court hearing, Ford Shelley was asked about diaries and journals of Anna’s which might indicate her wishes. I presume the court had reason to believe they’d been recently in his possession.
Bronwyn says
Since you mentioned delays but only in the light that it profits the lawyers, I would like to know your opinion of how a delay might favor his chances of guardianship with respect to the bonding attachment of the child to him?
Surely, with the delays, he will then proclaim the child has established a bond for the court to consider. How do you think the court will view a bond that occurred as a result of legal stalling?
This is assuming, of course, he fails the DNA Paternity Test.