Top Court to Hear Anna Nicole Smith's Appeal  9/28/05

Anna Nicole Smith's appeal to restore a judge's award of $88.6 million from the estate of her late husband is set to be heard by the US Supreme Court. 

The justices have agreed to review a US appeals court ruling which overturned a judge's decision in favor of the busty blonde, who was 26 when she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J Howard Marshall in 1994. Shortly before his death in 1995, Marshall was one of the wealthiest men in Texas, with assets exceeding $1.6 billion. His death has triggered a long legal battle between Smith and his son, E Pierce Marshall. 

The appeals court ruled last year (04) that a Texas probate court's decision that the son was the oilman's sole heir should stand. It said Smith was not mentioned in Marshall's will or in his trust. The appeals court ruled that a federal judge in California, who awarded the damages to Smith in 2002, lacked jurisdiction over the dispute. The justices will most likely hear arguments in the case in January (05), with a decision due by the end of June (05).