Nannies could testify in Smith trial

LOS ANGELES Haitians nannies Nadine Alexis and Quethlie Alexis, who worked as nannies for /*Smith*/ in the Bahamas caring for her baby, have not testified in a public forum, but their comments to private and government investigators have been the subject of controversy since the former Playboy Playmate died at age 39 of a drug overdose.

Alexis said in an interview that defendants /*Howard K. Stern*/ and /*Dr. Khristine Eroshevich*/ persuaded Smith to take drugs that sometimes left her asleep for three days at a time.

Sections of the lengthy transcript of interviews with the two nannies by investigator Danny Santiago were excised from the hearing by the judge who said they were too inflammatory.

Eroshevich, who is a psychiatrist, /*Dr. Sandeep Kapoor*/ and Stern have pleaded not guilty to charges related to over-prescribing drugs and illegally obtaining drugs for Smith under pseudonyms.

They are not charged with causing Smith's 2007 overdose death, which was ruled an accident.

Superior Court Judge Robert Perry asked last week if the nannies would testify.

"If I were the defense I would prepare for their testimony," Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose said. "We are doing what we can to bring them here."

Co-prosecutor David Burkhart said there were visa and travel problems because the nannies would be coming from the Bahamas.

Rose said she hoped they would arrive this week, but defense attorney Steve Sadow, who represents Stern, raised the problem of language translations for one of the nannies who speaks a Creole dialect.

The judge asked if Rose had arranged for a translator and she said she had not.

"I'm not sure there's a Creole interpreter in all of Los Angeles," said the judge, who suggested she notify the court interpreters office immediately.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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