I have never been a fan of Anna Nicole Smith, but I did feel awful for her when she died. I never watched her show and never saw her pictorials in Playboy - but I had sympathy for her nonetheless. For those who don't know, Smith died of an overdose of prescription medicine in 2007. Almost immediately thereafter, suspicion grew regarding the origin of the prescriptions in the hotel room where Smith was found. The strangest fact was that none of the medications were prescribed in Smith's name. They were all prescribed to Howard K. Stern - her lawyer-turned-partner.

All along, Stern has proclaimed his innocence in her death - although many refused to believe him. Yesterday, Stern was arrested for his role in furnishing the prescriptions and giving them to Smith. Stern and doctors Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich were each charged with three felony counts of conspiracy. Prosecutors said the doctors gave the drugs - including opiates and benzodiazapines - to Stern, who then gave them to Smith over three years.

"These individuals repeatedly and excessively furnished thousands of prescription pills to Anna Nicole Smith, often for no legitimate medical purpose," California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown said in a statement.

In fact, Eroshevich had traveled to Florida with Smith on the trip where she died! The doctor has tried to explain away her role in Smith's demise by saying they were prescribed in false names to protect Smith's privacy. Yeah, right. I'm so sure that it wasn't for the buttload of money Stern paid you.

I have a hard time believing that all of this was done to help Smith. I think if Smith was not in a medicated stupor, Stern would not have been able to control her or her money. It is clear to me that he orchestrated this entire farce and actually is culpable in Anna Nicole's death. And I, for one, am glad that he is finally going to face charges in all of this mess.