LOS ANGELES — The judge presiding over the Ron Jeremy trial ruled today that the former adult performer and media personality is “not competent” to be tried for the multiple counts of rape and sexual assault alleged against him.
Judge Robert S. Harrison considered two medical reports, by the defense and the prosecution, which agreed that Jeremy suffers from an “incurable neurocognitive decline” and cannot be tried for the alleged sex crimes.
News of the ruling had leaked earlier this month, when a Los Angeles Times reporter decided to publish parts of an email sent by the lead prosecutor in the case, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson, preparing the alleged victims and witnesses for the outcome.
Several media outlets covering the case — including XBIZ — had received the same leaked email, but only the Los Angeles Times made the decision to publish it ahead of the judge’s decision.
During a hearing scheduled for today, Judge Harrison stated that Jeremy “is not competent for trial,” adding that both medical reports indicate that he “would most likely not be restorable.”
Jeremy’s lawyer, Kate Hardie, told Rolling Stone today that after the July 2022 assessment by the defense’s doctor, the prosecution’s medical report issued in October “found more in favor of incompetency. She was more thorough. I don’t think there were any other options where there’s a medical issue.”
A Decision Two and a Half Years After Jeremy's Arrest
As XBIZ reported, the criminal case was at a standstill since presiding Judge George Lomeli's March 17, 2022 decision to suspend proceedings after he received reports from Goldfarb and the bailiff that the defendant was “incoherent” and could not be transported to court.
Judge Lomeli then referred the case to a mental health courthouse for a decision on Jeremy’s ability to stand trial. The judge recommended that psychiatrists on each side conduct evaluations to determine competency.
Jeremy has been awaiting trial in Los Angeles, where he has remained in custody since his arrest in June 2020.
After an August 2021 grand jury indictment was returned, Jeremy pled not guilty to 12 counts of forcible rape, seven counts of forcible oral copulation, six counts of sexual battery by restraint, four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person and one count each of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15, sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape.
In Nov. 2021, XBIZ published a detailed account of the 21 accusations that form the Los Angeles County district attorney's case against Jeremy. It remains the only comprehensive journalistic account of the testimonies given before the grand jury.
