Reply #3: Her former stepson, E Pierce Marshall, brought the fight to court: [View All]

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Snip:

A Texas probate court found that E. Pierce Marshall was the sole heir of his father’s estate and did not owe Smith a penny. However, a federal district court in California contradicted that decision and awarded Ms Smith the money, after finding that E. Pierce Marshall had altered, destroyed and falsified documents in a bid to stop her inheriting.

US District Judge David Carter, sitting in Santa Ana, California, said that Smith was entitled to half of the interest on her husband’s investments during their 14-month marriage, which came to $44.2 million, plus an equal amount in punitive damages.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Texas judge and found that Judge Carter should not even have heard the case.

“After nine years of litigation, I’m very pleased by the judgment issued by the 9th Circuit upholding my father’s wishes regarding disposition of his assets,” E. Pierce Marshall said in a statement.

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