Last November, Dr. Jacobson was indicted by a Federal grand jury for mail and wire fraud, travel fraud and perjury after seven couples who went to him for fertility treatments in the 1970's and 80's learned that DNA tests indicate he is the biological father of their children.

The DNA tests were accepted as evidence in the trial, though defense lawyers questioned the accuracy of the results. Dr. Jacobson has admitted fathering only one child. Prosecutors said 17 children were tested and findings indicated that 15 were fathered by Dr. Jacobson. The charged that the doctor might have fathered dozens more children whose parents did not come forward for testing. Basis of the Charges

Prosecutors wanted to try Dr. Jacobson on charges that he lied to patients by telling them he used sperm from anonymous donors and instead inseminated them with his own sperm.

They also wanted to prosecute him for allegedly injecting women who were desperate to have children with large doses of hormones, and then telling them they were pregnant when they were not.

However morally questionable those actions are, there are no laws prohibiting a doctor from donating sperm to a patient or impregnating an unwitting woman with his sperm. And there is disagreement in medical circles over what level of hormone treatment is proper for infertile women.

So, while the case provoked widespread public concern over possible ethical violations of medical standards, family privacy and the delicate issue of human reproduction, prosecutors charged Dr. Jacobson with the more straightforward counts of criminal fraud involving telephones and the United States Postal Service.

Dr. Jacobson was charged with 32 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud for using the telephone to make medical appointments and then mailing bills to patients. Prosecutors say these were patients he deceived.