So says a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Anna Nicole Smith died in 2007.  Until the end of her life, she was seeking to be an heir of the husband that she married in 1994 when she was 26 and he was 89. 

While J. Howard Marshall spent lavishly on Anna Nicole during their 14 months of marriage, his estate planning documents left his estate to his son, Pierce.  Almost from the moment he died in 1995, fourteen months after his wedding to Anna Nicole, the fighting began.  The widow alleged that he promised her $300 million or more.  Pierce countered that the will and trust did not provide for that and 15 years later it looks like the finish line is in sight.

The panel from the 9^th Circuit ruled on Friday, March 19 that Ms. Smith (and now her estate) was not entitled to any money.  Her estate’s attorney indicated that it is not the end of the line.  The estate may appeal to the full Ninth Circuit and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court probably will not take the case again.

It is my opinion that Anna Nicole Smith’s estate is fighting on fumes with the end being near and I think that ultimately the probate court in Houston’s 2001 ruling will stand and Anna Nicole’s Smith’s daughter as her sole heir will not receive anything from the estate of J. Howard Marshall.