Yorkville doctor Haohua Yang was found not guilty Friday on one of several sexual assault charges brought against him by former patients.
Kendall County Judge Timothy McCann announced his ruling in a courtroom packed with Yang’s supporters. McCann said he did “not believe that the evidence has established beyond a reasonable doubt” that Yang was guilty.
After McCann’s ruling, Yang hugged his lawyers before he was escorted back to the county jail, where he remains with no bail awaiting trial for the remaining charges.
Yang, a Naperville resident, was charged in December 2014 with sexually assaulting and abusing three female patients between 2012 and 2014 during examinations at his practice in Yorkville. Since then, even more alleged victims have come forward.
In total, 28 counts have been filed against Yang for alleged incidents between May 4, 2012, and Dec. 16, 2014, according to court documents. In one of the defendant’s responses, his lawyers state that he was charged with committing acts of sexual abuse and assault against 17 individuals.
At the defendant’s request, the state agreed to sever the charges so allegations pertaining to each individual would be tried separately. The incident ruled on Friday allegedly occurred Oct. 17, 2012.
The rest of the charges are the subject of a status hearing at 9 a.m. Feb. 15, in which additional trials may be discussed.
In the meantime, Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis, whose office brought the charges against Yang, said they are going to take some time to review the evidence that was presented, and the method for presenting that evidence to the judge.
“We thought we had a strong case,” Weis said. “Our victims were very disappointed, very surprised by the verdict. We are looking for answer … it is frustrating for them … but again we will look at the next case and see what needs to be presented and hope for a better verdict.”
Yang is represented by Terry A. Ekl, Terence P. Gillespie and Gabrielle Sansonetti, according to court records.
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Yang had plenty of supporters in the courtroom. Jean Luo said she was a patient of Yang’s for more than eight years, and trusts her children with him, including a 17-year-old daughter who took a half-day off school to attend Friday’s ruling. Luo’s son came from college in Champaign to attend as well.
“This guy is in the jail fighting for his life,” Luo said. “So this is what we do. We come here for justice.”
“The whole Chinese community … they will suffer,” Luo said. “Dr. Yang served the community for more than 10 years in Yorkville and in Naperville in this area …. It’s no evidence at all, it’s just he says she says.”
In an opinion from Dr. John O. Palmer, filed in court, Palmer writes that the allegations against Yang seem to revolve around the manner in which he examined the women. Palmer described accepted approaches for patient evaluations pertaining to sensitive areas of the body and analyzed the reports of how Dr. Yang allegedly touched several of the women during examinations.
“I have concluded that Dr. Yang has practiced outside accepted standards of care,” Palmer wrote. “He has inappropriately touched and probed the defendants in a non-medical and unacceptable way.”
Yang probably faces more trials in the future, so “he’s not out of the woods yet,” said Ekl, Yang’s lead attorney.
“This is just the first step,” Ekl said. “But this is a big step because this was the state’s best case.”
After Yang was arrested and charged after accusations by three patients, 14 more people came forward, Ekl said.
“There was sort of a mass hysteria,” Ekl said, “with people coming out of the woodwork making complaints… I think there was an exaggeration and an embellishment that was very evident here.”
Weis had a different take on the situation.
“Obviously there are victims that come forward (after the initial charges),” Weis said. “A victim who has been assaulted or touched in this way by a person in that profession, they see others have come forward, it gives them the courage to come forward. Sometimes they don’t want to be the one person that comes forward and go through it on their own, but again I don’t sit in their shoes, so I can’t say 100 percent that’s why.”
Weis stood by the credibility of Yang’s accusers, saying he hasn’t seen any financial motive for anyone to come forward. He said he now needs to look at which case to present next.
In 2015, Yang was arrested at O’Hare International Airport after returning to the U.S. following an attempt to enter China illegally, according to Beacon-News archives.
His website said Yang obtained his medical degree in China, but the customs agency said he is a U.S. citizen. His medical license was suspended in December, when the assault allegations became public.
Twitter @hannahmleone