Harvey Weinstein was supposed to be locked up on Rikers Island after he was convicted of first-degree criminal sex act and third-degree rape yesterday. Instead, he is confined to a bed in Bellevue Hospital due to heart palpitations and high blood pressure.
Weinstein’s lawyer Donna Rotunno claims that the former movie mogul “is Ok” but has “significant medical issues, while another of his attorneys Arthur Aidala, vows that his client is strong and wants to keep fighting.
According to CNN, there is no clear update on when Weinstein will be transported to Rikers; he is currently secured but not handcuffed to a bed in the prison ward of Bellevue, with family members by his side.
Weinstein was largely criticized for his use of a walker during his trial, but his legal team insists that they convinced him to use the walker for medical reasons, his lawyer said.
Rotunno said in December, “We wanted him to use a walker last week, and Mr. Weinstein didn’t want the press to think he was seeking sympathy,” claiming that Weinstein was expected to have surgery for his issues. His attorneys told the court on Monday that the surgery was unsuccessful.
“He’s under the care of five doctors currently. He’s dealing with the remnants of his back operation, which was not successful. He’s in need of the walker,” the defense team said.
After his release from Bellevue, he’s expected to go to the Rikers Island correctional facility, which is normally used to house inmates who are awaiting trial, sentencing, or serving sentences of one year or less.
However, his attorneys are currently working on a bail pending sentencing and on bail pending appeal.
With his conviction, he faces at least 5 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.
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