drugs (143 posts)

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The salacious Anna Nicole Smith details have only just begun.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry ruled this afternoon that prosecutors have shown ample evidence for Smith's erstwhile sidekick Howard K. Stern and Drs. Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor to stand trial for 22 of their combined 23 drug-related felony charges.

"All the defendants have been held to answer on all counts and will stand trial except for count one over act 43 (prescribing placebos)," court spokeswoman Vania Stuelp, tells E! News.

The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 11.

—Additional reporting by Whitney English

Monty Brinton/CBS

Big Brother champ Adam Jasinski's used to confined spaces with round-the-clock surveillance so this shouldn't be a problem for him.

A federal judge in Boston has denied a motion to release the reality meathead, who's been locked up since his arrest  two weeks ago on drug-peddling charges.

"He is detained," court clerk Maria Simeone told E! News, adding that U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin "determined that the government had met its burden of proof based on the evidence and that the defendant posed a risk of flight."

The 31-year-old Florida native, who stirred up controversy by referring to autistic kids as "retards" during his run to the $500,000 grand prize in the ninth season of Big Brother last year, was busted in a sting operation on Oct. 17. He is accused of trying to sell two bags of the prescription painkiller oxycodone (aka hillbilly heroin) to an undercover g-man.

No word yet on the next court date. If convicted, Jasinski faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

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The Big Brother champ isn't the only famous dude with legal issues. Check out our Mug-Shot Mania gallery for more stars behind bars.

The WB / Brian Cyr

Has Sam Jones been hanging out with Adam Jasinski? Sure seems it.

For the second time in two days, a C- D-list celeb (apologies to Kathy Griffin) was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents for illegally pushing oxycodone.

Today's target: former Smallville actor Jones, who this morning was busted at his Canoga Park home for his role as an alleged coconspirator in a series of big-time drug deals last year which, all told, involved him moving more than 10,000 of the blue painkillers, otherwise known as hillbilly heroin (the Big Brother champ's 2,000 seems almost paltry in comparison).

Clark Kent's onetime BFF was charged with conspiracy to possess and intent to distribute after authorities determined he was the "Hollywood connection" to illegally purchasing and distributing the drugs.

He's expected to appear in federal court later today and, if convicted, could face up to 20 years behind bars.

Guess we know what his kryptonite is.

—Reporting by Ashley Fultz

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It won't be long now until Sam Jones makes his way into our Mug-Shot Mania gallery.

Ron Galella Ltd/WireImage.com

We were happy to hear yesterday from Larry Birkhead that Dannielynn is now a healthy and happy 3-year-old.

Considering all the pills Anna Nicole Smith was popping while pregnant, it's a minor miracle.

At least that's how a psychaitrist who treated Smith told it today on the stand in the hearing to determine whether Smith sidekick Howard K. Stern and two physicians will go to trial for enabling the former Playmate's substance abuse that led to her 2007 death.

For a second day, Dr. Natalie Maulin testified that she attempted to wean an addled, pregnant Smith off prescription painkillers, only to be rebuffed by the onetime E! star.

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Monty Brinton/CBS

If Richard Hatch provided the first lesson in what not to do with your reality show winnings, surely Adam Jasinski has graciously, if unwittingly, supplied the second.

Big Brother 9's ridiculously insensitive champ was arrested Saturday as part of a drug trafficking bust after attempting to sell 2,000 oxycodone pills to an undercover government witness. Any guesses on how, exactly, he managed to finance the operation?

Yeah. That's what you call a $500,000 prize pool not so well spent.

The 31-year-old Floridian was charged yesterday with possession of oxycodone and intent to distribute following his weekend bust. The sting went down when Jasinski flew from Florida to Massachusetts to meet his would-be client.

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AP Photo/Tim Aylen; Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Whether he liked it or not—and he apparently did not—Larry Birkhead was back on the stand today talking about Anna Nicole Smith, her drug-fueled ways and the effect on it may or may not have had on their daughter, Dannielynn.

The photographer testified that Smith was taking such copious amounts of drugs after son Daniel  died that Birkhead feared it would poison Dannielynn. That's why, during his paternity battle, he made it a point to request that Anna Nicole and Dannielynn both be drug tested.

"I didn't know what sort of condition she was in," the celebrity photographer said, pointing out that she was on methadone when she was pregnant. "She had just lost her son and that was a tremendous blow. I didn't know if the things I saw happening [before Daniel's death] were carrying on."

But Birkhead's wrenching disclosure about his daughter, now 3, apparently came with a litte arm-twisting.

During cross examination by the defense, Birkhead admitted that the prosecutor asked him to "ramp up" his testimony and play the sympathy card by bringing up Dannielynn.

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Today's star attraction in the Anna Nicole Smith drug-plying case/circus: none other than her baby-daddy Larry Birkhead.

Unlike the graphic testimony given earlier this week, Birkhead kept the revelations to the minimum, dropping the nonbombshell that Smith popped narcotics like candy when the two lived together in 2004-06. He said she would ingest medications like methadone, klonopin, Topamax and Xanax on a daily basis.

Birkhead, who has been raising their daugther, Dannielynn, also revealed that Smith never left home without a duffel of drugs, many prescribed to her by one of the defendants, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor.

Kapoor, fellow physician Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and former Smith sidekick Howard K. Stern are facing nearly two dozen felony counts related to Smith's drug intake. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, prosecutors tried to pull out what they claim is a smoking gun...

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AP Photo

Drugs are bad. But not that bad, at least not for Billy Mays.

Despite an initial autopsy report indicating that cocaine played a significant role in the super-pitchman's unexpected death last June, an independent evaluation, carried out by a doctor hired by the Mays family, now claims that while the nose candy may have been present in Mays' system, it had absolutely nothing to do with his premature demise.

Dr. William Manion issued a six-page report on his findings contradicting Florida's Hillsborough County medical examiner, who said that Mays died of heart disease and that his cocaine use was a contributing factor.

According to Manion, the county coroner was only partly right.

"It is my opinion to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that cocaine was not a significant contributing factor to the death of the late Williams Darrell Mays," he said, going on to say that Mays' nasal passages had neither deteriorated nor shown any damage typical of a chronic cocaine user, and that nothing in his "medical, social or professional history" suggested such behavior.

Of course, it's of note that Manion did not actually conduct an autopsy of his own and admittedly has yet to even physically examine the body. His findings, instead, were based on a review of the report issued by the medical examiner's office.

Which, apparently, is good enough for the Mays family.

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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; Danny Moloshok / Reuters; Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; Ning Chiu/ZUMApress.com

Hope you've eaten lunch, because if you haven't you might lose your appetite.

Yes, we have more details from the Anna Nicole Smith drug-peddling case.

Florida-based medical examiner Dr. Harold Schueler told the court today that the former Playmate was seriously ill in the days before her death, suffering from a abscess on her buttock from injections of drugs. The condition may have contributed to her drug-fueled death on Feb. 8, 2007.

"[Infections] would have had an impact on her ability to withstand the drugs," the doctor said, reducing her tolerance to sedatives and muscle relaxers she had been taking for pain, anxiety and insomnia. "Her respiratory system could also have been compromised."

In other words, it wasn't just a minor booboo.

Meanwhile, former bodyguard Mo Brighthaupt testifed that he saw Smith sidekick/defendant Howard K. Stern injecting her with medication on at least five occasions after the death of her son, Daniel.

Still waiting in the wings to take the stand: Smith's baby-daddy, Larry Birkhead.

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MTV

DJ AM's show lives in the wake of his death.

With the network already figured to be heading in this direction, MTV confirmed Monday that it will be airing the eight-part documentary special Gone Too Far, featuring the late celeb spinner as a lifeline for young people struggling with substance abuse.

Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein had wrapped production on the series when he was found dead in his New York apartment on Aug. 28 after accidentally overdosing on cocaine and prescription meds. He was 36.

"After careful consideration we have decided to air the show," Goldstein's family said in a statement released by MTV. "Adam felt strongly that by doing this series he could help other addicts who were at a crisis point to get sober. Adam was fully aware that if it were not for his own sobriety he never would have achieved the level of success and happiness he had found. Helping people in their recovery was a huge part of Adam's life."

"The decision to air the show has been difficult," they continued, "but we do this with the profound belief that it will inspire others to seek help."

Gone Too Far premieres Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. on MTV. Too bad there won't be an epilogue featuring an equally determined interventionist helping AM with his recovery.

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Take a look at some of DJ AM's finer moments in our tribute gallery.

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Lil Wayne's not exactly jumping for joy.

A judge in Yuma, Ariz., has set a March trial date for the Grammy-winning New Orleans MC on felony drug and weapons charges stemming from a January 2008 bust along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Wayne, whose full name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., has pleaded not guilty.

The "Lollipop" MC was busted after his tour bus was searched at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8 just east of Yuma. Agents allegedly turned up cocaine, Ecstacy, marijuana, a pistol and $22,000 in cash.

A lawyer for the 27-year-old hip-hopster could not be reached for comment, who's keeping his legal eagles' pockets full these days.

Wayne's also facing trial in New York City for criminal weapons possession after police turned up a gun in—you guessed it—his tour bus following a 2007 concert.

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There's nothing better than a celebrity trial! Check out E! Online's Guilty Gallery.