Conspiracy Charges Dismissed against Howard K. Stern in Anna Nicole Smith Case

showbizspy.com - HOWARD K. Stern is a free man.

A judge on Thursday morning dismissed two drug conspiracy charges against the lawyer, who was convicted of both last fall in the trial into Anna Nicole Smith’s death.
“I’m ecstatic,” Stern said after the hearing.
“Yay! My brother just got off,” Bonnie Stern, Howard’s sister, was overheard saying in court.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry also reportedly dismissed the two conspiracy charges against Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, Smith’s psychiatrist, and reduced a charge against her of unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance to a misdemeanor.
Citing Eroshevich’s long career and her concern for Smith, Perry sentenced her to no more than one year of probation and a $100 fine for obtaining one Vicodin prescription under a false name.
“The evidence is that Howard Stern did not have an intent to break the law,” Perry said, adding that without Stern’s participation, there was no conspiracy between him and Eroshevich.
“There is no doubt that there are doctors who are nothing more than pill pushers and should be prosecuted and imprisoned. This case did not involve such doctors.”
Perry noted in his ruling that Stern never had the intent to defraud the system while obtaining prescriptions under multiple names for Smith and only did so to protect her privacy.
“I think the prosecution was dishonest in her character,” Stern told E! News of the “incredibly strong woman” that was Anna Nicole. “Prosecution tried to portray her as messed up on drugs in the corner of the room.
“I think a lot of this was done for publicity.
“And they didn’t care whose life they harmed. At this point, I will start grieving over what has happened.”
“This case should never have been brought,” added Stern’s lawyer, Steve Sadow. “And it impacted people’s lives in a horrible way. I think there was a lot of unnecessary drama based on Anna and someone tried to capitalize on it.”
“I’m just very grateful…I had great lawyers. If other people were in that situation, the D.A. could have gotten away for it. I’m grateful to [Judge Perry]. I’m going to pick up the pieces,” Stern added.