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Ex- A&F chief executive Mike Jeffries was recorded telling his UK-based partner that they were screwed and in big trouble if he was deemed fit to face trial on human trafficking allegations in the coming months, a New York federal court has been told.

The audio were among in excess of 100 telephone conversations between the ex-fashion boss and Matthew Smith played during a multi-day mental competency session on Long Island on Long Island.

Jeffries' lawyers argue that he is coping with cognitive decline and late onset of Alzheimer's and is unfit to face trial alongside his partner and their accused middleman in October.

However, prosecutors argue their doctors concluded his condition has improved and that the calls demonstrate he is incredibly preoccupied on being declared unfit.

In further recordings, Jeffries is heard saying he is hoping for a favorable ruling, characterizing being ruled able as a catastrophe, and instructs a doctor: you better declare me incompetent, the court learned.

Court Process and Psychiatric Opinions

The calls were recorded last year while he was being held for several months in a psychiatric facility at a US prison in North Carolina to assess if he could recover fitness.

The octogenarian had in the past been deemed legally unfit previously but facility staff then declared in December that he was fit for trial subsequent to his evaluation.

Government attorneys advised the court Jeffries repeatedly complained about prison conditions and was caught on tape describing to Smith how horrible incarceration was, adding: so we must succeed.

The Case

Jeffries, his partner Smith, 62, and their purported go-between James Jacobson, 73, were accused with running a global human trafficking and prostitution business in October 2024.

They have denied the allegations, which have a potential penalty of life in prison.

Their being taken into custody were prompted by an investigation that uncovered the trio had been at the heart of a elaborate operation scouting young men for sex around the world while Jeffries was CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Presiding Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury will rule in May about whether Jeffries will be tried after reviewing the statements of multiple specialists - experts, specialists and brain specialists, including prison doctors - who were cross-examined in proceedings this week.

'Inappropriate' Conduct

A trio of medical witnesses for the defense, argue that Jeffries is mentally incompetent due to the residual effects of a brain trauma, suspected a form of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

They stated that Jeffries shows socially inappropriate and socially inappropriate behavior, which is consistent with a range of cognitive symptoms.

Reported incidents are Jeffries calling the prosecutor's psychologist a insult, complimenting her hair, informing another expert his clothing was badly made, and describing his partner Smith as a dwarf, the court heard.

He was also taped in minute detail on around 20 jail conversations discussing his travel itinerary for the coming months, even though having been on home confinement since 2024.

"I don't want to go on trips without you," Jeffries was heard saying to Smith from jail.

The prosecution suggest this indicates his recognition that he would go free if he was declared unfit and the case were dropped.

Conversely, the defence's expert witnesses counter, saying it instead points to that Jeffries has forgotten his conditions and the seriousness of the situation.

"He lacked the normal affect that I would expect someone to have who is up against such severe allegations," stated one forensic psychiatrist who assessed Jeffries.

"Rather, his behavior throughout the examination... was almost like we were having a chat at his club. There was no sense of anxiety."

Diverging Neurological Assessments

Evidence indicated there is evidence that Jeffries' mental decline started in 2013, when tests showed mild atrophy, which was exacerbated by a incident in 2018.

Jeffries had been drinking alcohol at the moment of the 2018 incident and his history showed he persisted in drinking following being hospitalized, but an expert told the judge he did not think his overall drinking had a decisive influence on his state.

In the wake of the fall, Jeffries suffered a psychotic break, and began hallucinating, with one incident in 2019 where he was discovered in his underwear, immobile, in a neighbor's yard.

Experts from a prison hospital testified that Jeffries was fit after observing him over an extended period in custody.

They assert his cognitive abilities did not align with Alzheimer's disease, which the court heard could not be definitively confirmed until an autopsy could be performed.

"Even given the deterioration that Mr Jeffries has experienced... he still is more capable and more capable cognitively than probably 95% of the patients that we test for competency," stated one expert.

Jeffries, wearing a business attire in the hearing, was reported to be jovial and quite engaging during interactions in the facility, and was deliberately pushing boundaries, sometimes using informal address.

They found Jeffries with minor cognitive impairments and said his testing scores may have improved since 2023 from borderline or deficient to typical because of abstinence from alcohol and more consistent management of prescriptions during his confinement.

109 Prison Calls Prompt Questions

Key to assessing fitness is whether Jeffries understands the allegations against him, their implications, the {legal proceedings|court process|trial