A judge rules that Smith's daughter Dannielynn is entitled to sanctions as much as $49 million from her mother's lawsuit against the estate of her late husband's family.
- Jun 1, 2013
AceShowbiz - Anna Nicole Smith's legal battle against the estate of her late husband's family, which takes place for about a decade, may end soon. According to New York Daily News, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled earlier this week that the son of Smith's late billionaire husband, Pierce, would be sanctioned for using delaying tactics throughout the case by concealing some legal documents.
Judge Carter said that the estate's tactic was "too pervasive and too egregious to be ignored." He explained, "It would promote disrespect for the authority of the federal courts to turn a blind eye to actions that willfully and blatantly attempted to make a mockery of this justice system."
The amount of the sanction is not finalized yet. However, Smith's 6-year-old daughter Dannielynn is predicted to get approximately $49 million from the family. The judge gave a chance to the lawyers to defend themselves and present arguments as to why they should not pay the sanction. The next hearing has been set for August 13.
Smith met oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II when she worked in Las Vegas in 1991. The two began dating and later got married when she was 26 and Marshall 89. People speculated that the former Playboy model married him for his wealth, but she denied it. Marshall passed away one year after they got married.
Smith later took a legal action against Marshall's heir and son E. Pierce Marshall, after the Marshall senior's death. Smith said that her late-husband promised to give her some of his fortune. However, Supreme Court decided that she was not entitled to any of her late husband's properties.
