Overview
- U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury concluded that Michael Jeffries has a rational and factual understanding of the charges after reviewing medical reports, expert testimony, and hours of recorded phone calls.
- Jeffries, 82, and co-defendants Matthew Smith and James Jacobson face federal counts including sex trafficking and interstate prostitution tied to allegations they lured men with promises of modeling jobs to drug-fueled sex parties.
- The competency dispute followed a roughly four-month hospitalization at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, where prison doctors previously deemed Jeffries fit for trial.
- Defense doctors testified that Jeffries has progressive neurological conditions and requires round-the-clock care, while the judge gave greater weight to other experts who found he could consult with counsel and participate in his defense.
- Jeffries remains free on bond, a pretrial hearing is scheduled next week, and jury selection for the joint trial is planned for late October, a timetable that will move the case from medical review into full criminal proceedings.