This post was updated April 14 at 10:51 p.m.

Former UCLA gynecologist James Heaps was sentenced to 11 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges including sexual battery. 

Heaps was accused of sexually abusing multiple patients during his time as a doctor at UCLA Health. He was previously sentenced to the same amount of prison time following a 2022 conviction on multiple counts – including sexual battery by fraud and sexual exploitation of an unconscious victim. 

[Related: Former UCLA Health gynecologist James Heaps sentenced to 11 years in prison]

A California Appeals Court reversed Heaps’ original conviction in February. The court cited a note from the case’s foreperson – a juror who helps oversee deliberations – that said another juror was facing a significant language barrier that prevented them from deliberating fully as reasoning for the reversal. 

The appeals court also said the original judge sent a judicial assistant to speak with the jury twice, but Heaps’ lawyers were not told about the conversations – which were not written down – or the note.

[Related: Court reverses former UCLA gynecologist sexual battery conviction, orders retrial]

Heaps was granted the right to a retrial but waived that right in order to accept the guilty plea. 

Heaps accepted the plea deal during a hearing at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Before his sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements from three of Heaps’ former patients.

Lawyers for the prosecution read two statements on the victims’ behalf. One woman said in her statement that she had trusted Heaps as a medical professional and that his actions had affected her sense of safety. 

She added in the statement that she was focused on healing and rebuilding her life. 

Another woman said in her statement – which was read by the lawyers – that she did not care how many years Heaps was sentenced to, only that he admitted his guilt. She added in the statement that she had forgiven Heaps and would pray for him. 

Heaps was given the opportunity to address the court during the hearing, but chose not to speak. 

The court also set a hearing for September, in which it will determine the amount of restitution fees Heaps will have to pay to his victims. UCLA also previously agreed to pay nearly $700 million in settlements to Heaps’ patients after hundreds of misconduct lawsuits were filed against him. 

Another person – who gave her victim impact statement to the court directly – said Heaps’ actions had altered the course of her life, but she was resilient in the process of getting justice. 

“What you intended to break, you did not,” she said.