After a week of deliberation, the jury continues to consider the evidence in a sexual assault trial against a former Juneau chiropractor. As of Friday afternoon, the jurors had yet to return a verdict.
Twelve former patients accused Jeffrey Fultz of sexual assault under the guise of medical care. They say the incidents took place during medical appointments between 2014 and 2020 while he was employed at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Juneau.
Fultz’s defense argued that he was offering legitimate medical care to these patients.
The jury has been deliberating 13 counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual harassment against Fultz.
When the trial started, there were two more counts of sexual assault associated with one alleged victim/complainant, but presiding Judge Larry Woolford declared a mistrial for those counts. Woolford said the state failed to disclose new evidence related to those charges.
Those charges can still be tried if state prosecutors choose to retry them.
Jury deliberation follows standard work hours, and will resume Tuesday after Labor Day. There is no time limit on how long the jury can deliberate.
If the jury convicts Fultz on any of the counts, there will be a sentencing hearing. That’s when Judge Woolford will determine Fultz’s penalty for these convictions. Convictions in sexual assault cases can lead to years in prison.
