Jerry Brown calls Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend her 'principal enabler' [UPDATED]

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown lambasted Anna Nicole Smith’s boyfriend as her “principal enabler” and called the recent charges against him and two doctors alleging they illegally provided her with prescription drugs “damn serious.”

“My hope is the message will go out: Doctors do not have a license to pump innocent and often vulnerable people full of dangerous chemicals,” Brown said.

Speaking before 14 television cameras and a dozen reporters, Brown stopped short of blaming Smith’s boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and the doctors for the 39-year-old model’s 2007 death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, but he said the two-year, multi-agency investigation that led to charges uncovered behavior just as troubling as “street corner” drug dealers.

“People in white smocks in pharmacies and with their medical degrees are a growing threat,” he said.

Stern and Los Angeles physicians Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor are charged with conspiracy to prescribe drugs to an addict as well as other counts. Authorities contend that the doctors and Stern provided Smith thousands of addictive pills, often using phony names during the three years leading up to her death. The trio face a “theoretical maximum of five to six years” in prison if convicted, L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Doyle said.

Stern and Kapoor turned themselves in to the Whittier Police Department on Thursday night and were freed on $20,000 bail. Eroshevich will turn herself in Monday, authorities said. They will be arraigned in Superior Court on May 13.

Her lawyer said Eroshevich, Smith’s treating psychiatrist in the final six months of her life, used pseudonyms on prescription forms to ensure the model’s privacy from a throng of media following her every move. Lawyer Adam Braun said the psychiatrist wrote prescriptions for a host of psychotropic drugs in California so she would have medical flexibility in treating Smith in the Bahamas, where she was living at the time. He said not all of the medication prescribed was made available to Smith.

Eroshevich “did the very best she could under some very difficult circumstances,” the attorney said.

Brown said the trio was motivated by a desire to be close to Smith’s money and “high life.”

“There is a certain psychic gain here to be part of the cliques of celebrity and the power,” he said.

Updated, 12:40 p.m.: A lawyer for Kapoor said the gerontologist, whose practice includes a specialty in pain management, had done nothing wrong and was charged only because of Smith's celebrity status.

"Dr. Kapoor's treatment of Anna Nicole Smith -- despite the publicity and despite the hysteria -- was medically and ethically appropriate," attorney Ellyn Garofalo said.

Stern’s attorney said he would make a statement later today.

-- Harriet Ryan

Photo:  California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, at an L.A. news conference today, discusses charges filed against Howard K. Stern and two physicians alleging they conspired to illegally furnish controlled substances to Anna Nicole Smith leading up to her 2007 fatal overdose.

Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

Comments

[matt]

i guess the AG hasn't much else to do but talk about a private matter like this. no disrespect to Anna N. S. but she should not be the issue to carry him to the governorship. why not, disfunctional governement, illegal voting practices and attracting more tax paying business to CA instead??? or if we are to pick on doctors, why not irresponsible "octomom" type enablers. otherwise this just smacks of elitism

[MexiChick]

A reminder to all doctors and pharmacists: Do no harm!

[Bing]

Why say such an inflamatory thing as "People in white smocks in pharmacies and with their medical degrees are a growing threat"? What does he want to do with all the people in white smicks in the pharmacies? Jerry Brown is a politician at its worst. Why are we keeping electing such a disgusting character?

[Amy Stein]

Nice public relations stunt, Mr. Brown. You should submit this PR plan to Public Relations Society of American and you may win an award for greatest PR stunt of 2009. Governor of CA? Good luck!

[Bill]

This is a witchhunt, pure and simple.

[OldRedJoe]

I guess since all violent crime and gang problems are solved, the AG has time for this.

[Noodlemonkey]

Stern deserves what he gets. He exploited Anna, he exploits Dannielynn, he exploits our judicial system (bravo, Justice Kennedy for throwing Stern's latest frivolous lawsuit out!). He's vile.

[far away from cali]

former governor moonbeam strikes again

[Archie Haase]

I think Brown is stating what most Americans think,

[windhill]

In the same vein as Palin's "palling around with terrorists" remark. Let him go to someone in a grey suit when he is sick...............

[Joe]

Mr. Brown,would you consider locating to Pennsylvania? We need a man with your grit to straighten out this corrupt state.Cali folks should consider themselves lucky indeed.

[violet]

God Bless Jerry Brown for carrying this much needed course of justice out! It sounds like they took their time to do it right and carefully assess this case. As a citizen and human being I feel like shouting hallelujah that these vermin are not getting away with their sinister, monstrous actions.

[Mistressmax]

Thank you Jerry Brown

[Jake]

Same goes with the 'medical marijuana' doctors here in LA - particularly in the Valley. I recently went to a physician for an ailment, and the physician kept tyring to push marijuana as part of my treatment. When I declined several times, he asked me why I was visting him!!!
I have later learned this physician was caught by an undercover news reporter for prescribing marijuana to someone with a sore toe!

Go get 'em Jerry!

[edarem]

If only people would realize...they'd never get into trouble if they didn't break the law. Simple, really.

[spence]

You people in calf should tell mr brown to get a real job

[miahsha]

Jerry, I was with you all the way in 92, you had my vote then and all I can sing is: Jerry's back, Jerry's back Jerry's back Jerry's back! So good to see you, sir. Thank you for your services.