Last updated 20 months ago 
WOODLAND, CA - Opening statements are set to begin Tuesday afternoon in the trial of Dr. Mark Anderson, accused of molesting 14 women patients in his Woodland dentistry practice. If convicted on the 20 felony charges he could face 23 years in state prison.
Anderson, 49, has already been stripped of his dentist license, an action taken by the state in October, 2007, after his arrest by Woodland police. In the license revocation hearing, his civil attorney argued Anderson's practice of sometimes giving chest massages to women patients was an effort to relieve the pain from those suffering Temporomandibular Joint disorder, or TMJ.
In hearing documents, however, one patient claimed Anderson complimented her on breast implants. He also apologized, via greeting card and telephone conversations, to some women patients who complained to him about what they believed was inappropriate touching.
"Massaging the breast of female patients is not within the scope of the practice of dentistry in any circumstance," said Deputy Attorney General Jeff Phillips at the time.
A civil attorney representing one patient also took issue with Anderson's defense of giving massages for pain relief.
"He was touching her because he was interested if she had breast augmentation and how the breast implants felt," said attorney Noel Ferris. "He wasn't talking about any muscle problem."
The Yolo County District Attorney first filed a single misdemeanor criminal charge against Anderson in early October, 2007. A Yolo County Grand Jury then handed up an indictment after hearing testimony from investigators and alleged victims. The indictment lists 20 felony counts and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery and accuses the dentist of victimizing 14 patients.
Some of Anderson's patients have been outspoken in his support.
"I've been his patient since 1988 and he's never done anything out of the way, (I've never) seen anything out of the way," said Mary Blair outside an earlier court hearing. "The doors are always open, the nurses are always in there, so he couldn't have done this."
Anderson's criminal attorney, Michael Rothschild, has cited a gag order in declining to comment about the case.
Jury selection in the case was finished earlier this week. Judge Stephen Mock is overseeing the trial in Woodland's Yolo County Courthouse. Anderson has remained free on bond since his initial arrest.
News10/KXTV
