Appeals court overturns former UCLA gynecologist’s sex abuse conviction

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]February 3, 2026 at 01:53 AM

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A California appeals court overturned the conviction of former UCLA gynecologist James Heaps, who was serving an 11-year sentence for sexually abusing patients. The court ordered a retrial, citing that Heaps was denied a fair trial because his defense was not informed of a note from the jury foreman expressing concerns about a juror's English language ability. Heaps was convicted in 2022 on multiple counts of sexual battery and penetration related to two patients, while the jury was deadlocked on other charges. Heaps' attorney stated that the note's discovery was crucial and believes his client will eventually be exonerated. Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the ruling.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

California's 2nd District Court of Appeal 40% Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office 50% California 60% Leonard Levine ×260% Los Angeles 70% University of California, Los Angeles ×285% James Heaps ×795%

Keywords

james heaps 90% sex abuse 90% conviction overturned 80% fair trial 70% juror qualification 70% sexual battery 60% retrial ordered 60% ucla 50% appeals court 50% gynecologist 50%

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Associated Press (AP)

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Far LeftCenterFar Right

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90%

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Los Angeles

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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james heaps sex abuse conviction overturned fair trial juror qualification sexual battery retrial ordered ucla appeals court gynecologist

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