THE words “probate exception” do not titillate. And yet a saucy, decade-long legal battle over a fortune of nearly half a billion dollars hinges on this clause, which deals with the boundaries between state and federal courts in estate disputes. At issue is whether Vickie Lynn Marshall, a former Playboy pin-up and exotic dancer better known as Anna Nicole Smith, will get anything from the estate of her late husband, J. Howard Marshall, an oil tycoon with assets estimated at $1.6 billion.
　　On May 1st, Ms Smith won an important victory. Although her inheritance remains uncertain, the United States Supreme Court (no less) unanimously ruled that she could pursue her case in federal court. One suspects the justices were enjoying themselves, for once.

　　对遗嘱公证可持有异议”这句话本身并无桃色意味。实际上，这是适用于涉及州立和联邦法庭之间处理财产纠纷的权限问题的条款。然而正是这一条款，让一场令人啼笑皆非、争夺大约5亿财产的诉讼持续十年之久。大家都对维基 琳恩 马歇尔能否从她已故丈夫的财产中分得一杯羹议论纷纷。马歇尔曾经是《花花公子》杂志的一名海报女郎和脱衣舞女，人称“安娜 尼科尔 史密斯”，她的丈夫J.霍华德 马歇尔则是一个拥有差不多16亿身家的石油大亨。

　　5月1日，史密斯女士赢得了重大胜利。尽管她的继承权仍未明确，但美国最高法院一致裁决，她可以在联邦法院追诉。有人怀疑，法官们这是在逗闷玩儿，简直是破天荒头一次。