Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced film producer, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after being transferred back to Rikers Island jail.
The 72-year-old is undergoing medical tests to prepare for his upcoming court appearance next week.
His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, discussed Weinstein’s declining health with the Associated Press. Initially assessed at Rikers, Weinstein was later transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for a more thorough evaluation.
“They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically. He’s got a lot of problems. He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck health wise,” Aidala said.
FOX News reported:
“Harvey is in the hands of NYC Department of Corrections and NYC H+H/Correctional Health Services and is having his medical needs tended to by DOCS and CHS,” Craig Rothfeld, Weinstein’s prison consultant and authorized DOCS representative, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We are grateful for how smoothly they handled his eventual return to Bellevue’s prison ward.”
Weinstein’s representative, Juda Engelmayer, told Fox News Digital that Weinstein returned to Rikers Island on Saturday morning.
“At the same time, we‘re cautiously optimistic and are prepared to go to trial, if it comes to that,” Engelmayer added. “There are fewer charges now and the deck isn’t going to be illegally stacked against him. While we all enjoy the same rights when it comes to our justice system, a defendant has an additional right to due process. We are glad the Appeals Court judges saw it that way.”
After his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by a mostly female panel of judges in New York’s high court in a close 4-3 decision on Thursday, Weinstein is back at Rikers.
Previously serving a 23-year sentence at Mohawk Correctional Facility for sexual assault and rape, Weinstein had his convictions related to incidents in 2006 and 2013.
However, the New York Court of Appeals’ recent ruling highlighted judicial errors, particularly the admission of testimony regarding uncharged sexual acts by women which were deemed irrelevant to the case.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s 4-3 decision said, according to AP. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
Even though his New York conviction was overturned, Weinstein remains incarcerated in Los Angeles for rape convictions, with plans to contest that verdict as well, as reported by NBC.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is resolute in its decision to pursue a retrial, underscoring its dedication to supporting sexual assault survivors.
