Sexual Assault Charge Dropped Against Doctor

A physician was charged with sexual assault on one of his female patients. In order to resolve his sexual assault charge, he gave up his Maryland license to practice permanently. He is still faced with a civil lawsuit from another woman.

A 41-year-old patient visited MedExpress Urgent Care Center because she was having issues with a prescription that the physician prescribed. During a pelvic examination, the physician allegedly touched her in an inappropriate manner and when the woman asked him to stop, he honored her request and asked for a hug. Another woman accused the physician of groping her during an examination of a back injury. She filed a lawsuit asking for over $1 million.

The physician wrote to the Maryland Board of Physicians and stated that he would no longer practice as a doctor. He further stated that he is not going to contest the investigative findings of the board that resulted in his license suspension. Following a short hearing, the state decided to drop the charges against the physician. An Assistant State Attorney claimed that based on evidence, this was not a strong case.

Just because someone is formally charged with a crime does not automatically mean they will be convicted. In this case, Maryland prosecutors dropped the sexual assault charge against the defendant. As with any criminal case, prosecutors will need to meet a strict burden of proof that the defendants are guilty of the charges against them. All defendants have the right to the presumption of innocence unless proved guilty in a criminal courtroom.

Source: ABC News, "Maryland Doc Facing Sex Charge Surrenders License", David Dishneau, Sept. 2, 2014

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