Judge rules Michael Jeffries competent for trial
U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury concluded in a 157-page ruling that Michael Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial after reviewing testimony, medical expert reports and 109 recorded phone calls made during his hospitalization. Jeffries, 82, and co-defendants Matthew Smith and James Jacobson were federally charged in 2024 with operating a global sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015; they have pleaded not guilty to one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution. The ruling allows the October trial to proceed with daily accommodations for Jeffries.
Jeffries is cleared to face an October trial on Long Island.
Context
Federal prosecutors charged Jeffries and two others in 2024 for alleged global sex trafficking from 2008 to 2015. The judge ordered a hospital evaluation after the defense raised dementia concerns. The case now moves toward an October…
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