Appeals court overturns former UCLA gynecologist’s sex abuse conviction

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court on Monday overturned the conviction of a former University of California, Los Angeles, gynecologist who has been serving an 11 year-sentence for sexually abusing female patients, and ordered the case to be retried.

A three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled Dr. James Heaps was denied a fair trial because the court did not share with his defense counsel a note by the foreman pointing out concerns that one juror lacked sufficient English to carry out their duties.

Heaps’ attorney, Leonard Levine, said he and his team were not aware of the note or that there was any question about a juror’s ability to serve until two years later when an attorney working on an appeal discovered it in a court file.

If the attorney had not seen it, “it still would have remained a secret, which is very unfortunate since it would have been a miscarriage of justice, but thankfully it’s been corrected,” Levine said.

Heaps was sentenced in 2023 to 11 years in prison for sexually abusing female patients.

“Justice is slow but it’s finally been done,” he said, adding “I believe it’s just a matter of time before he is totally exonerated.”

Heaps was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of patients during his 35-year ...