Order Blocked In Smith Paternity Case
A judge in the Anna Nicole Smith baby dispute temporarily blocked an order forcing her daughter to undergo paternity testing, an attorney said.
A Tuesday deadline had been set for the test sought by Larry Birkhead, who claims he is the father of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern. She was born Sept. 7 in the Bahamas.
Ronald A. Rale, an attorney for the 39-year-old former Playboy playmate, questioned the legality of the test, saying Bahamian authorities needed to grant work permits before an American doctor could conduct the test.
The judge granted a stay pending a Feb. 7 hearing, Rale said.Photos: Anna Nicole Smith
Birkhead's attorney, Debra Opri, called Rale's request "a delay tactic." She says the test was scheduled between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday but Smith never showed up.
Birkhead sued in October to get a paternity test. Smith's longtime personal lawyer, Howard K. Stern, maintains he is the baby's father.