https://www.rollingstone.com/culture...-case-1265384/
December 1, 2021 1:23PM ET
Ron Jeremy Gets New May 2 Trial Date in Los Angeles County Rape Case
The jailed porn star appeared in court Wednesday with a bushy beard and his trademark long hair now almost completely white
By Nancy Dillon
Jailed porn star Ron Jeremy has a new trial date in his serial rape case — and a new lawyer on his defense team.
At a hearing in Los Angeles Wednesday, the adult film industry veteran agreed to push the start of his planned jury trial from late February to May 2. His defense lawyer, Stuart Goldfarb, also tells Rolling Stone that Kate Hardie will help represent the actor at trial.
Hardie is a former Los Angeles County public defender now specializing in sex crimes, according to her website. She confirmed her new role on the case in an email Wednesday but declined to comment further.
Jeremy, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, appeared at the hearing in a wheelchair with a bushy beard and his trademark long hair now almost completely white. He spoke only to tell Judge George Lomeli that he agreed to the case delay and new trial date.
The 68-year-old performer has been in custody in Los Angeles County since his June 2020 arrest. He’s being housed in a medical ward, Goldfarb says. “He’s doing as well as someone could do in jail,” Goldfarb says.
Jeremy has denied any wrongdoing in the case. He pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of sexual assault, including a dozen counts of forcible rape, following his indictment by a Los Angeles County grand jury.
The new indictment returned Aug. 19 involves 21 alleged victims ranging in age from 15 to 51 and an alleged pattern of predatory behavior dating back to 1996.
All of the alleged victims testified for the grand jury, with many saying Jeremy used his status as a pop-culture icon to disarm their defenses, according to transcripts of the proceeding obtained by Rolling Stone.
Multiple women said Jeremy used his VIP access to the employee bathrooms at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood to lure them out of earshot of other patrons, trap them in a confined space, and sexually assault them.