As I mentioned in a recent blog post, Britain’s Royal Opera will feature the production Anna Nicole, the story of Anna Nicole Smith’s life and untimely death, set to open February 17, 2011.  Smith’s life was made for the stage. The former model went from “impoverished Texas waitress to oil tycoon’s widow to reality television star,” as Rachel Lee Harris nicely illustrates in her recent New York Times article, Royal Opera in London to Stage ‘Anna Nicole’. While the opera is likely to focus on the tragedy of her early death, Smith still plays a vital role in a real life drama that remains unfinished.  Anna Nicole Smith first became famous when she married oilman, J. Howard Marshall II.  But this short marriage has turned into a long-lasting legal battle over the fate of Marshall’s fortune. This complicated legal dispute has dragged out for almost 15 years, with no resolution. Smith challenged Marshall’s estate plan with claims that he verbally promised to include her in his will.  But she had no hard evidence. Nothing was ever formally written in his will that revealed his intention to give her any of his fortune. In fact during the trial in Texas probate Read More …

In response to the death of 17-year-old Chelsea King, San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher vows to change California’s sex offender laws. His efforts are fully supported by principal members of King’s family. Specifically, sex offender’s records (including all field notes) are purged one year after year after probation is completed, which is the case with registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III, who plead not guilty in Chelsea King’s death last month. An outraged Assemblyman Fletcher has written to the Department of Corrections and to Inspector General Dave Shaw to determine why such policy is “in the best interests of public safety.” The corrections office maintains that certain information about a parolee is retained in a central file, but both Fletcher and Governor Schwarzenegger find this so called policy to be unacceptable! Fletcher insists that high risk, violent, sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated, so, at the very least, significant prison sentences should be given; and, lower-level offenders should be heavily scrutinized by law enforcement. Chelsea’s Law, when finally presented before legislature, likely involves a broad coalition of law enforcement and citizens. Stiff penalties would be enforced for the convicted. A first time offender would be given life in prison. If Read More …