NEW YORK (AP) — The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is mentally competent to stand trial as he faces sex trafficking charges after being hospitalized for months for dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms, a federal judge ruled.
U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury, in her Thursday decision, concluded that Michael Jeffries “clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings” and is a “reasonably 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.
“His 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,” Choudhury wrote.
Jeffries’ lawyer declined to comment.
“We do not comment on the Judge’s rulings," Brian Bieber wrote in an email. “The case, and all related issues, will be tried inside the courtroom – not in the media.”
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’ lawyers had argued that he required around-the-clock care to deal with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury. They had medical experts testify in court that Jeffries’ cognitive issues were “progressive and incurable” and that he would not “regain his competency.”
That prompted Choudhury to order Jeffries to be hospitalized to see if his mental condition would improve. After spending about four months at Butner, federal prison officials in December deemed Jeffries mentally fit to stand trial.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson have pleaded not guilty 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 made in a civil case and in the media in recent years.
Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 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.
FILE - Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — George Russell took the fight to his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli on Friday, qualifying on pole position for the sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix as Formula 1 returned from its midseason break.
Russell snatched top spot by 0.041 of a second from McLaren's Lando Norris, winner of the last race in Hungary, with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari, 0.014 further back.
Standings leader Antonelli was fifth after a bumpy ride across a gravel trap in the first part of the session. His closest championship challenger Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh for Ferrari.
Earlier Friday, Antonelli went fastest in the single practice session on a drying, constantly changing track after rain.
The 2026 cars and their formidable electrical power have yet to be tried in serious rain as part of a race weekend. That briefly seemed like it would happen in practice as teams started on intermediate tires, but the track soon dried out. Sprint qualifying was dry.
Max Verstappen has committed to Red Bull on a new contract through 2030 but there's no sign of his Dutch home race staying beyond this year.
The 80s rock anthem “The Final Countdown” rang around the venue Thursday as organizers geared up for the sixth and final Dutch GP since returning to the F1 calendar in 2021.
The race is a privately run operation in a calendar packed with races that boast government backing. Citing “risks and responsibilities,” organizers said in 2024 they'd rather “go out on a high" with two more races and no more.
Something else makes the Dutch GP stand out, too. Almost all fans attending are barred from driving to the track because the seaside resort town puts strict rules on traffic. Instead, they must take the train from Amsterdam or — in a uniquely Dutch take on F1 — join the tens of thousands riding bikes to Zandvoort.
Liam Lawson learned only on Monday he was being promoted to the main Red Bull team after Isack Hadjar injured his wrist. Lawson has tried the unfamiliar car only on the simulator so far, in a hastily arranged session Wednesday.
Lawson's promotion means Yuki Tsunoda is back on the grid with Racing Bulls. He hasn't raced under the new-for-2026 regulations at all. Lawson qualified 11th and Tsunoda 12th.
See AP’s full auto racing coverage here
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain in action during the sprint qualifying at the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain in action during the sprint qualifying at the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
Fans sit ahead of the first free practice for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares for the first free practice for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain in action during the first free practice for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco makes a pit stop during the first free practice for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy in action during the first free practice for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands attends a news conference ahead of the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
