The trial stemming from the death of Anna Nicole Smith, who died of an accidental overdose in 2007, has been described as a "circus" due to intense political pressure, according to her defense attorney Ellyn Garofalo.
Garofalo, who represented Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, one of three medical professionals charged with overprescribing medication to Smith, detailed the extraordinary circumstances of the case. "There was political pressure in LA to bring this as a murder case," Garofalo told Page Six. "But they couldn't do it because Anna Nicole died in Florida. So they ended up bringing this over prescribing case."
Kal Penn portrays Dr. Kapoor in the new movie "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor," which revisits the trial. Linda Hamilton plays Garofalo, and Abbie Cornish plays Smith.
Smith's death in February 2007 at age 39 followed a long history of prescription drug abuse. The prosecution accused Dr. Kapoor, along with Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Smith's lawyer and partner Howard K. Stern, of conspiring to unlawfully procure massive amounts of prescription drugs for Smith.
Garofalo asserted that her client, Dr. Kapoor, had not seen Smith for six months prior to her death and was not prescribing medication for her during that period. She alleged that the prosecution's case relied on questionable testimony, including from two Haitian nannies who previously worked for Smith. "The DA had arranged for them and their families to take a VIP trip to Disneyland and they got them new housing (in the Bahamas)," Garofalo claimed. "That’s how bad it was."
During the 2010 trial, prosecutors presented prescription bottles that one of the nannies testified were in Stern's name but intended for Smith. However, when questioned, the nanny stated she did not speak English and only knew this because "the prosecutor told me!"
The trial itself was marked by intense media scrutiny. "The first time Sandeep came to see me, he was followed by helicopters circling him and at one time had to get into the trunk of his mother's car," Garofalo recalled. "It was extraordinary, like something out of the movies. He was being followed by hordes of reporters. I'd never seen anything like it."
The jury ultimately found Stern and Eroshevich guilty of conspiracy charges related to fraudulently obtaining prescriptions. Dr. Kapoor was acquitted of all charges. The defendants were not directly accused of causing Smith's death.
In January 2011, a judge overturned the felony conspiracy convictions of Stern and Eroshevich. Garofalo noted that the experience was life-changing for Dr. Kapoor, who went from a small practice to being the focus of national attention. She also mentioned that watching the movie adaptation was triggering but expressed a desire to meet Linda Hamilton, who portrays her in the film.
Larry Birkhead, Smith's former partner and the father of her daughter Dannielynn, has criticized the film, stating he warned the filmmakers about the potential emotional distress it could cause. Dannielynn was five months old when her mother died.