On October 7, 2022, one year ago today, the jury concluded their deliberations for the week in the criminal trial of former UCLA campus gynecologist, Dr. James Mason Heaps. He was accused of sexually abusing seven female patients.
The jury will resume on October 17 at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse after a week-long break in the case.
After receiving the case on Wednesday afternoon, the panel deliberated for about 1 1/2 hours. They continued their discussions all day Thursday and half a day on Friday.
Dr. Heaps, now 65, is facing nine counts each of sexual battery by fraud and penetration of an unconscious person by fraudulent representation, as well as three counts of sexual exploitation of a patient. These charges are based on alleged crimes committed between 2009 and 2018.
In her rebuttal argument on Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Rosa Zavala emphasized that Heaps took advantage of his patients’ vulnerability. She stated, “All of these medical needs created an excuse for him to begin some sort of procedure that then turns sexual.”
However, defense attorney Leonard Levine countered that the evidence showed Dr. Heaps’ examinations were appropriate and for medical purposes.
In his closing argument, Levine stated, “I submit to you … he either did it all or he did none. He’s either a doctor out there doing his job or he’s a maniacal monster sex fiend out there looking for sex whenever he can. Those are your two choices, in my opinion.”
The defense lawyer defended Dr. Heaps as a skilled doctor who performed his job well and argued that the patients sexualized the medical examinations.
Levine added, “You can’t give him back his good name. You have no ability to give him back his reputation or his job. But you can say, ‘Dr. Heaps, you are not guilty, you are not guilty.’”
He expressed his hope that the jurors would conclude Dr. Heaps is innocent and asked them to return a verdict of not guilty on each count.
In her final argument, Prosecutor Zavala highlighted the trust the patients had in Dr. Heaps when they walked into his clinic. She said, “They expected a professional to treat them, but what they got is someone who is a predator.”
Zavala argued that the examinations became sexual due to Dr. Heaps’ conduct, which was meant for his own sexual arousal and pleasure. She described his actions as subtle because he is not stupid.
She concluded, “It is horrific what happened to them. It is unfair what happened to them, and all at the hands of the defendant because they had the misfortune of trusting him. But today, you get to tell the defendant that he cannot hide behind UCLA, that he cannot hide behind that white coat, and that he is guilty of every single count…”
Dr. Heaps served as a gynecologist/oncologist affiliated with UCLA for nearly 35 years. He treated thousands of patients and was the highest-paid physician in the UC system at one point.
More than 500 lawsuits were filed against Dr. Heaps and UCLA, accusing the university of failing to protect patients despite being aware of the misconduct.
In May, a $374 million settlement was announced for 312 former patients of Dr. Heaps. This settlement followed a $243.6 million resolution in February and a $73 million settlement in federal lawsuits last year.
The lawsuits alleged that UCLA knowingly allowed Dr. Heaps to continue having sexual access to female patients, many of whom were cancer patients. UCLA issued a statement acknowledging the reprehensible conduct and expressing gratitude to the plaintiffs for coming forward.
The university outlined measures to enhance student and patient safety. The settlement will be covered by the UC systemwide insurance and risk financing program.
In a similar case in March 2021, USC agreed to pay over $1.1 billion to former patients of ex-campus gynecologist George Tyndall, marking the largest sex abuse payout in higher education history.
Tyndall, who was the only full-time gynecologist at the USC student health clinic from 1989 to 2016, has pleaded not guilty to multiple sexual assault charges.
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