Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial on sex trafficking and prostitution charges, a federal judge has ruled, overturning a previous decision that had declared him unfit. The court found "ample evidence" of his fitness based on medical records and recordings of more than 100 phone calls.
Judge Nusrat Choudhury stated that recordings of Jeffries' phone conversations were "particularly illuminating," indicating he was a "fluent conversational partner" capable of learning new information auditorily and possessed a "rational and factual understanding of the proceedings." Despite this determination, the court will implement accommodations due to Jeffries' age, 81, and reported cognitive impairments.
These accommodations include limiting court sessions to four hours per day to allow Jeffries to review transcripts and discuss proceedings. Both the prosecution and defense will be required to provide daily transcripts. "To be clear, Jeffries is competent to proceed regardless of these accommodations," Judge Choudhury emphasized.
Jeffries, along with his partner Matthew Smith, 62, and alleged middleman James Jacobson, 73, were charged in October 2024 with operating a global sex trafficking and prostitution business. All three have pleaded not guilty. A conviction could result in a life sentence.
The arrests followed a BBC investigation and podcast series initiated in October 2023, which alleged the trio orchestrated a sophisticated operation to scout young men for sexual exploitation internationally during Jeffries' tenure as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Jeffries had previously been declared "mentally incompetent" last year due to alleged dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. He faces over a dozen charges related to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution violations. His trial is scheduled to commence on October 26.