Azar on custody team

Anna Nicole Smith's baby at heart of case

Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Frank Azar, an Aurora attorney known for his local television ads, has joined the legal team representing Anna Nicole Smith's mother.

Azar said he was asked last week by John O'Quinn, a Houston attorney who has been representing Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, to join the legal team. Azar worked with O'Quinn in the past as co-counsel on a number of lawsuits against Wal-Mart.

"He figures that if I'm tough enough to take on Wal-Mart, I can take on Mr. (Howard K.) Stern," Azar quipped.

Stern is the former partner of Anna Nicole Smith, the onetime Playboy playmate who died at age 39 in a Florida hotel on Feb. 8. He is listed as the father on the birth certificate of Smith's 5-month-old daughter, Danielynn Hope Marshall Stern.

Arthur is battling Stern to gain custody of the child, who lives with Stern in the Bahamas.

Azar said he is fighting for a good cause. "Grandparents should be able to see their grandchildren," he said.

Azar, who was at a hearing before the supreme court in the Bahamas on Monday, said it was an interesting experience to practice law there.

"They follow the English system," he said. "The judge is referred to as 'my lord' and the other attorney is 'my learned friend.' "

He said that Arthur's legal team was able to put some pressure on Stern to allow her to see Danielynn on Tuesday.

"Mr. Stern would not let (Arthur) see (Danielynn). But when he did, he would not let her touch her," Azar said.

fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5489