Retrial of Juneau chiropractor accused of sexual assault likely won’t occur until at least spring
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
New attorney for Jeffrey Fultz says months are needed to catch up on case involving accusations dating back to 2014; jury deadlocked on most charges at first trial
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A former Juneau chiropractor accused of sexual assault by a dozen women who were his patients — and whose first trial ended with jurors hung on most charges — will likely not be retried until at least April since his new defense attorney says he needs time to fully prepare for what’s a complex case.
A readiness hearing for Jeffrey Fultz on Wednesday was continued until Feb. 11, with attorneys on both sides agreeing a trial before April is unlikely due to scheduling logistics for the numerous witnesses and other people involved. Fultz’s new attorney, Nicholas Ambrose with the state’s Public Defender Agency, said he is seeking a trial date even further into the future, asking instead the readiness hearing be set for April and the retrial sometime after.
"There are just so many things in this case that need to be dealt with before we can say we are ready for trial," Ambrose told Judge Larry Woolford during Wednesday’s hearing at the Dimond Courthouse in Juneau. "I think the most obvious of these is the six-week trial that has already happened — I have to review that."
Fultz was acquitted Sept. 4 of two counts of sexual assault and a mistrial was declared on 12 related charges where the jury could not reach a verdict. He is being retried on the unresolved charges stemming from alleged actions at a clinic, including "nonconsensual sexual contact" of patients between 2014 to 2020. He testified during the trial he was providing legitimate treatment to his accusers.
Ambrose said he is still waiting for transcripts he requested of that trial, and also needs to review grand jury and other legal proceedings on the case that originated in April of 2021.
"I think April 2026 is a realistic timeline for us to come before the court and have hopefully most of the issues resolved in terms of reviewing what’s happening in the case," Ambrose told Woolford.
Opposition to a delay of that length was argued by Krystyn Tendy, a prosecutor in the case, who cited an Alaska Supreme Court order from earlier this year imposing limits on how long cases filed in 2022 or before can be postponed.
"We have seen how this case has dragged out," she said, adding "We are at a point where a trial date needs to be set."
Ambrose said a rushed process could result in an outcome such as an appeals court ruling Fultz was wrongly convicted, which could take years longer to resolve than delaying the current case a couple of months.
Woolford, setting the next hearing for 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 11, said he believes a check-in on the status of the case is appropriate at that point so people involved can get a better sense of when a trial might occur and what legal matters need to be addressed beforehand.
Fultz, who participated in the trial, did not speak except when asked by Woolford if he was willing to waive his right to a speedy trial, since delaying the next hearing until February means a trial can’t start until at least March.
"Yes, your honor," Fultz responded.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
