An evidentiary hearing set for Feb. 19 will test whether jurors in the high-profile federal case against Memphis gynecologist Dr. Sanjeev Kumar were exposed to outside influence that could shake the verdict. The proceeding comes on the heels of a January jury decision that convicted Kumar on most counts in a sweeping indictment accusing him of unsafe reuse and mislabeling of medical devices. Kumar has moved for a new trial and remains on the court’s calendar ahead of an April sentencing date.
According to Action News 5, the Feb. 19 hearing will decide whether the court should order a formal Remmer hearing, an evidentiary step used to probe extraneous influence on jurors, after Kumar filed a motion for a new trial that challenges both press coverage and the sufficiency of the evidence. The station reports Kumar is 45 and says his motion asks the judge to examine whether publicity or outside contacts may have affected the jury.
In January, a federal jury found Kumar guilty on 40 of 46 federal counts, including 18 counts of adulteration of medical devices, 16 counts of misbranding reprocessed single-use devices, and six counts of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2026, and prosecutors note that the statutory maximum penalties on the fraud and device counts could add up to decades in federal prison…