Overview
- James Heaps pleaded guilty Tuesday to 13 felony sex-abuse counts involving five patients and received an 11-year state prison sentence.
- The plea followed a February appeals decision that threw out his 2022 conviction because the judge hid a juror note about limited English and sent a judicial assistant to speak to the jury without notifying lawyers.
- The agreement avoids a new trial and spares survivors from testifying again, and Heaps must register as a sex offender for life.
- Prosecutors said his time served could make him eligible for parole as early as 2028, and a judge set a September restitution hearing that may address recovery of legal fees.
- UCLA has resolved more than 500 lawsuits with payouts totaling nearly $700 million over its handling of Heaps, who practiced for about 35 years and once ranked among the UC system’s highest-paid physicians.