Ron Jeremy Declared Unfit to Stand Trial

UPDATE Jan 17, 2023 5:27 PM CST

A Los Angeles judge declared Tuesday that porn performer Ron Jeremy is mentally incompetent to stand trial on dozens of rape and sexual assault counts. Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Harris said in a hearing that after reviewing reports from both prosecutors and Jeremy's defense, he has determined Jeremy is in "incurable neurocognitive decline" from which he is unlikely to recover, the AP reports. Prosecutors asked that he be periodically reevaluated. A hearing on placing the 69-year-old in a state hospital will be held next month. Jeremy pleaded not guilty after a grand jury indicted him on 34 counts of sexual assault, including 12 counts of rape. Jeremy, who has remained in jail since his arrest in 2020, did not attend the hearing Tuesday.

Jan 8, 2023 9:02 AM CST

It looks like porn star Ron Jeremy will not stand trial on multiple rape charges going back years, reports the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors have concluded that the 69-year-old Jeremy has severe dementia, according to an email obtained by the newspaper. “As a result of the agreement of the experts, the defendant will be declared incompetent to stand trial," wrote Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson. The decision is expected to be made formal at a Jan. 17 court hearing. Jeremy is accused of assaulting more than 20 women, often at porn-industry functions. One possible outcome is that he will be committed to a state hospital.

Jeremy had been scheduled to go on trial last year, but the proceeding was postponed when his attorney informed the court that the former adult-film star no longer recognized him, per Rolling Stone. A court bailiff backed that up. One of the women who has accused Jeremy tells the Times she doesn't understand why prosecutors began the case given concerns that Jeremy had dementia before charges were filed. "They were well aware he had dementia, so I’m very disappointed that they didn’t solve that bit before letting us go on that emotional journey for 2½ years," she says. (More Ron Jeremy stories.)