California Appeals Court Overturns UCLA Gynecologist's Sex Abuse Conviction

A California appeals court on Monday overturned a sex abuse conviction against former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gynecologist Dr. James Heaps, ordering a retrial of the case. The ruling found that Dr. Heaps was denied a fair trial.

Grounds for Overturn: Fair Trial Denied

The three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal determined that a fundamental aspect of a fair trial was not met.

The trial judge reportedly did not share with Dr. Heaps' defense counsel a note from the court's foreman, which raised concerns about a juror's English language proficiency.

Dr. Heaps' attorney, Leonard Levine, stated that he and his team were unaware of the note or the juror's ability concerns until an attorney working on an appeal discovered it in a court file two years later.

Background: Previous Conviction and Allegations

Dr. Heaps was sentenced in 2023 to 11 years in prison following his conviction on charges of sexually abusing female patients.

He had been accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of patients over his 35-year career at UCLA. The university reportedly made nearly $700 million in payouts related to lawsuits stemming from these allegations.

Dr. Heaps pleaded not guilty to 21 felony counts, which involved the alleged sexual assaults of seven women between 2009 and 2018. In October 2022, he was convicted of three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration concerning two patients. The jury found him not guilty of seven counts and was deadlocked on the remaining charges.

The Juror Concern

The appellate court's 31-page ruling specifically highlighted the issue with Juror No. 15. Concerns about this juror's qualification to serve were raised within approximately one hour of their being seated as a substitute juror. The foreman's note indicated that Juror No. 15 did not possess sufficient English language skills to participate effectively in deliberations.

Future Actions

Prosecutors now have a 30-day period to appeal this ruling. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has stated its intention to retry Dr. Heaps as soon as possible. The appellate panel acknowledged the burden a retrial places on all parties but emphasized its necessity due to the fundamental importance of the constitutional right to counsel.