NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is mentally competent to stand trial as he faces after being for dementia and Alzheimer鈥檚 symptoms, a federal judge ruled.
U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury, in her Thursday decision, concluded that Michael Jeffries 鈥渃learly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings鈥� and is a 鈥渞easonably intelligent person and skilled communicator” following his stay at a federal prison hospital in Butner, North Carolina.
The federal judge on Long Island, New York, said she reviewed testimony and written reports from medical experts and listened to hours of phone calls Jeffries made to his romantic partner, lawyers and others while in custody.
鈥淗is presentation and responses in evaluations following his commitment to Butner and his phone calls show that he understands the structure of the criminal legal system, courtroom procedures, the functions of the various participants, the nature and purpose of the proceedings, and key legal concepts,鈥� Choudhury wrote.
Jeffries鈥� lawyer declined to comment.
鈥淲e do not comment on the Judge鈥檚 rulings,” Brian Bieber wrote in an email. 鈥淭he case, and all related issues, will be tried inside the courtroom 鈥� not in the media.鈥�
Jeffries, 82, is currently free on bond. He’s slated to go on trial in late October, alongside two co-defendants, his partner Matthew Smith and staffer James Jacobson. A pretrial hearing is slated for next Thursday.
Jeffries鈥� lawyers had argued that he required around-the-clock care to deal with the effects of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury. They had medical experts testify in court that Jeffries鈥� cognitive issues were 鈥減rogressive and incurable鈥� and that he would not 鈥渞egain his competency.鈥�
That prompted Choudhury to to see if his mental condition would improve. After spending about four months at Butner, federal prison officials in December deemed Jeffries to stand trial.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson have to federal charges, including sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
Prosecutors say the three used the promise of modeling jobs to lure men to drug-fueled sex parties in New York City, the Hamptons and other locations. The criminal case echoes sexual misconduct accusations and in the media in recent years.
Jeffries after more than two decades. He’s credited with transforming the New York retailer, originally founded to sell wilderness gear, into a mainstay of teen mall culture in the early 2000s with its preppy youth aesthetic and sexy marketing.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
