A Los Angeles County, California court sentenced a gynecologist who practiced at UCLA for decades to 11 years in prison for sexually abusing patients. Prosecutors argued that Dr. James Heaps exploited his position to take advantage of patients for his own sexual gratification.
Dr. James Heaps listens in court in Los Angeles
In October, a jury found Heaps guilty on three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person. Prior to his sentencing, Heaps requested a new trial, claiming that his testimony could have explained some of the accusations made by the victims and prosecutors.
However, prosecutors contended that Heaps chose not to testify because it would have been more detrimental than helpful to his case. They believed that taking the stand would have exposed him to the more than 500 complaints filed against him in a civil lawsuit.
The New York Times reported that UCLA has paid nearly $700 million to settle claims of sexual misconduct against Dr. Heaps from thousands of patients dating back to the 1980s.
During the arguments against a new trial, the deputy district attorney highlighted some of the victims’ claims, stating that Heaps’s medical records would not exonerate him from accusations such as squeezing a patient’s breasts or digitally penetrating them.
Heaps’s lawyer argued that the jury’s decision to acquit him on some charges and reach a hung jury on others indicated their thorough and critical examination of the evidence. They pointed to the number of questions the jurors posed during deliberation as evidence of their conscientiousness.
Despite these arguments, the judge denied the request for a new trial. Heaps is scheduled to appear in court again this month to request bail while he appeals his conviction. As of now, the prosecution has not revealed whether they intend to retry Heaps on the counts where the jury was hung.
