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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 5, 1992                   TAG: 9203050187
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA                                LENGTH: Medium

VA. INFERTILITY DOCTOR CONVICTED

The prosecution had alleged that Jacobson may have fathered as many as 75 children through artificial insemination.

Jacobson, 55, appeared to show no emotion when the verdict was announced after four days of deliberations. He faces up to 280 years in prison and $500,000 in fines when he's sentenced May 8.

Jacobson, who is credited with introducing amniocentesis in the United States to diagnose defects in unborn babies, was charged with defrauding patients by artificially inseminating them with his own sperm while claiming to use other donors. He also was charged with tricking patients into believing they were pregnant when they were not.

"I spent my life trying to help women have children," Jacobson said after the verdict. "It's a shock to be found guilty of trying to help people. . . . I certainly did not willfully or intentionally harm anyone. . . . I did not break any law."

Jury foreman Daniel Richard told reporters outside the courtroom that he was convinced that Jacobson lied to his patients. Jacobson admitted on the witness stand he knew the hormone treatments he gave patients would remain in their bodies until after their pregnancy tests, Richard said. Jacobson testified that he hadn't realized the hormones could cause false positives.

Juror Deborah Earman said jurors were "baffled" by the size and complexity of the case, but that the evidence against Jacobson was overwhelming.

"I think that he was a good man," Earman told reporters after the verdict. "It was obvious that he went wrong somewhere and mistreated a lot of women. "

Former patient Jean Blair, who testified that Jacobson convinced her she was pregnant and miscarried six times, said she believed Jacobson should be jailed.

Prosecutor Randy Bellows declined to say whether he would recommend that Jacobson, who remains free on bond, should go to jail.