Opinion ID: 2155795
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The events of December 3, 1996.

Text: This case began when Mrs. J., a grandmother in her fifties, complained that Dr. Anderson had sexually abused her during her visit to his office on December 3, 1996. Mrs. J. had made an appointment with Dr. Anderson, who had been treating her and her family for many years, because she was concerned that she might be developing glaucoma. After dilating her pupils, examining her eyes, and measuring the pressure within her eyeballs, Dr. Anderson diagnosed Mrs. J. as having [b]orderline glaucoma[,] which means that we don't know that it's glaucoma yet. Dr. Anderson prescribed glasses and gave Mrs. J. an appointment for a visual field test. He explained that such a test, which is designed to determine whether the patient's peripheral vision has been impaired, is the only way to actually diagnose glaucoma. At trial, Mrs. J. testified that after Dr. Anderson completed his examination of her, he made crude and unwanted sexual advances. Specifically, she claimed that Dr. Anderson felt her breasts under her clothing, placed her hand on his penis, and ejaculated on her clothes. Mrs. J.'s trial testimony differed in significant respects from her earlier accounts, see pp. 546-547, infra, but she has insisted since December 3, 1996 that Dr. Anderson sexually abused her. Dr. Anderson denied at trial that he molested or harmed Mrs. J. in any way. Dr. Anderson asserted that Mrs. J. attempted to engage him in a flirtatious or quasi-romantic conversation. According to Dr. Anderson, he declined to participate in such a discussion and changed the subject instead. In Dr. Anderson's defense, his former receptionist testified that, to her knowledge, nothing untoward occurred in the office on the day of the alleged offense. There was also evidence that at the conclusion of her appointment, Mrs. J. proceeded routinely to a nearby optician to order the spectacles that Dr. Anderson had prescribed. After returning home, Mrs. J. telephoned her sister and told her of the alleged sexual abuse. The sister called the police, and Mrs. J. subsequently proceeded to the Metropolitan Police Department's Sex Branch and described the incident to Detective Ozell Richmond. Shortly thereafter, the United States filed a one-count criminal information against Dr. Anderson. On December 26, 1996, Dr. Anderson was arraigned on one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse, and he was released on his own recognizance. As a condition of his release, Dr. Anderson was ordered to stay away from Mrs. J.