Birkhead Asks Judge for Paternity and Drug Tests

TMZ has learned the man who claims to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter is sending his lawyer to court tomorrow, to ask a judge for an immediate order requiring Anna Nicole to come back to California STAT with her baby.

Deborah Opri, the attorney for Larry Birkhead, will go to Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday at 8:30AM ex parte -- which means without the other side present -- and ask the judge to order Anna Nicole to return to California for a paternity test. Opri will also ask that Anna Nicole submit to drug testing, thus setting up the potential for a bitter custody fight.

Birkhead has already filed legal papers which ask for a paternity hearing, but tomorrow's court appearance kicks everything up a notch. In essence, Opri will argue that a paternity test is an emergency and that waiting will cause Birkhead irreparable harm.

Howard K. Stern, Smith's lawyer, has announced that he's the daddy. Birkhead begs to disagree. It is unclear if a California judge has legal authority to order Smith, who is in the Bahamas, to return to the U.S. for paternity and drug testing.