Key facts
- Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial.
- A federal judge reversed a previous decision that found Jeffries incompetent due to dementia and Alzheimer's.
- The ruling cited ample evidence from medical records and audio recordings of phone calls.
- Jeffries faces charges related to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
- His trial is scheduled to commence on October 26.
- Accommodations will be made for Jeffries' age and cognitive impairments during the trial.
A federal judge has ruled that Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is mentally competent to stand trial on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution. This decision reverses a previous ruling from last year that declared Jeffries mentally incompetent due to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Judge Nusrat Choudhury based her ruling on an examination of Jeffries' medical records and over 21 hours of audio recordings from 109 phone calls. The judge found "ample evidence" that Jeffries possesses a "rational and factual understanding of the proceedings" and is capable of learning new information.
Jeffries faces more than a dozen charges related to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. His trial is scheduled to begin on October 26. The judge acknowledged Jeffries' age of 81 and cognitive impairments, stating that accommodations would be made. These include shorter trial days, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., allowing Jeffries to review transcripts and discuss developments each morning. The court will also include several 15-minute breaks throughout the day, and both parties must provide daily transcripts for Jeffries' review.
Jeffries, along with his partner Matthew Smith, 62, and alleged middleman James Jacobson, 73, were charged in October 2024. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. The arrests followed a BBC investigation and podcast series that detailed an alleged global operation scouting young men for sex during Jeffries' tenure as CEO.