UCLA gynecologist pleads guilty to 13 sexual abuse charges and is sentenced to 11 years in prison

James Heaps was first sentenced in 2023 but appeals court found he was denied a fair trial Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gynecologist pleaded guilty to 13 felony sexual abuse charges on Tuesday in connection with the sexual assault of several patients over his career, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. James Heaps was originally sentenced in 2023 to 11 years in prison after being convicted of five counts of sexual battery and penetration involving two patients. That sentence was overturned by an appeals court in February, which ruled that Heaps was denied a fair trial because the judge did not share with his attorneys a note from the court’s foreman sharing concerns about a juror’s English proficiency. Instead of going to trial again, Heaps pleaded guilty to 13 felonies involving a total of five victims and was again sentenced to 11 years in prison. He also must register as a sex offender for life. After his conviction was overturned in February, his attorney Leonard Levine said he believed “it’s just a matter of time before he is totally exonerated”. Levine did not immediate