CHARLESTON – The Kanawha County Commission has agreed to more than $8,000 for a special prosecutor involving Dr. Steven Matulis and the alleged sexual assault cases.
Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorcaia was appointed last year to investigate the allegations against Matulis and Charleston Gastroenterology Associates. Sorcaia was appointed after Kanawha Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller asked to be removed from the case due to two alleged victims having connections to the prosecutor’s office.
The Kanawha County commissioners approved a purchase order of $8,589 to Sorcaia for his services in the case earlier this month. The money was for expert witnesses.
Matulis
While Matulis has not been criminally charged yet, he’s had multiple lawsuits filed against him by alleged victims and insurance companies in state and federal court.
The first lawsuit against Matulis for alleged sexual assault was in April 2016, where the plaintiff alleged she was informed she was a sexual assault victim after she had had a colonoscopy performed at Charleston Area Medical Center by Matulis.
Other lawsuits allege similar circumstances. The insurance lawsuits claim the sexual assaults are not covered under Matulis’ policies and therefore, they won’t pay out his policies for those claims.