Appeals Court Overturns Conviction Of Former UCLA Gynecologist James Heaps
A three-justice panel ordered a retrial after finding defense counsel was not told a foreman's note that Juror No. 15 lacked sufficient English.
Overview
California's 2nd District Court of Appeal on Monday overturned Dr. James Heaps' 2023 sex-abuse conviction and ordered a retrial after finding his defense was denied notice of a juror-language concern, according to a 31-page ruling.
The panel found that about an hour after Juror No. 15 was seated, a foreman's note said the juror lacked sufficient English to deliberate, information defense counsel did not receive, the 31-page ruling said.
Leonard Levine, Heaps' attorney, said he did not learn of the foreman's note until two years later; the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said prosecutors plan to retry Heaps as soon as possible.
Heaps was sentenced in 2023 to 11 years after conviction on three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration; he had pleaded not guilty to 21 felony counts, records show.
Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the ruling, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said, and the appellate panel wrote that retrial was required despite the burden on witnesses, the ruling said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources report this neutrally. The coverage uses plain legal language, attributes claims to parties (defense, prosecutors, appellate panel), and includes context—conviction details and university payouts—without evaluative adjectives. Editorial choices emphasize procedural facts and direct quotes, avoiding loaded framing or selective omission of major viewpoints.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The court ruled that Heaps was denied a fair trial because his defense counsel was not informed of a foreman's note stating that Juror No. 15 lacked sufficient English proficiency to deliberate.
He was convicted on three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person involving two patients.
The jury deadlocked on nine remaining charges involving four alleged victims, and prosecutors have been granted permission to retry those counts.
UCLA reached settlements totaling nearly $700 million, including a $374 million settlement with 312 former patients and a $73 million class action settlement for over 5,500 patients.
Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the ruling, but they have stated plans to retry Heaps on the overturned conviction as soon as possible.
History
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