
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 3, 1992                   TAG: 9203030249
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA                                LENGTH: Medium

JURY YET TO REACH VERDICT IN TRIAL OF INFERTILITY DOCTOR

A federal jury completed a second day of deliberations Monday without reaching a verdict in the fraud and perjury trial of an infertility doctor accused of lying while using his own sperm to artificially inseminate patients.

The jury, which met for a total of 11 hours Friday and Monday, was to resume deliberations today.

Dr. Cecil Jacobson, who faces 52 counts of fraud and perjury, also is accused of using hormone injections to trick women into believing they were pregnant when they were not. Jacobson's clinic was in Vienna.

Prosecutor Randy Bellows complained to U.S. District Judge James Cacheris on Monday that Jacobson had been talking to the media on Friday. But Bellows said he would not immediately seek a gag order.

Jacobson admitted on the witness stand that he occasionally used his own sperm for artificial insemination when other donors were not available. But his attorney, James Tate, insisted there is no law against a doctor donating sperm to his patients.

Prosecution witnesses said Jacobson promised them that the donor would be a medical or seminary student and would match their husbands' physical characteristics and sometimes even religion. The prosecution contends Jacobson broke his promises and thus is liable for fraud.

In his testimony last week, Jacobson said he did not realize the hormone treatments he gave other women could trigger a false positive pregnancy test. The defense also sought to show that some of the women patients were pregnant when Jacobson said they were.

If convicted on all counts, Jacobson would face up to 280 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.

by CNB