Harvey Weinstein has been transferred to a New York City hospital following a judge’s approval for the ailing former studio executive to remain there instead of jail during his absence from court for his #MeToo retrial. The decision was made by Judge Paul Goetz late Thursday, instructing that Weinstein be immediately moved from the notorious Rikers Island jail complex to Bellevue Hospital’s prison ward in Manhattan to receive necessary medical care.
Weinstein’s legal team had advocated for the transfer as jury selection commenced this week, citing that his incarceration in occasionally freezing jail cells was worsening his health conditions. Weinstein suffers from chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes, and mobility issues that necessitate the use of a wheelchair for court appearances.
The order from Judge Goetz will remain effective until at least next Thursday, pending a further hearing on the matter. Judge Curtis Farber is overseeing Weinstein’s retrial, which will continue on Monday with additional jury selection. So far, nine jurors have been chosen, and the court aims to seat 12 jurors and six alternates. This retrial follows the overturning of Weinstein’s 2020 conviction and 23-year sentence by New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, which cited improper rulings and prejudicial testimony as reasons for the new trial. Weinstein maintains his plea of not guilty, denying all charges of rape and sexual assault.
Weinstein has frequently been transferred to Bellevue for treatment in recent months. During a pretrial hearing in January, he criticized his treatment at Rikers, expressing his desire to leave the facility as soon as possible. Last November, his lawyers filed a legal claim against New York City, seeking $5 million in damages and arguing that Weinstein received inadequate medical care in unsanitary conditions at Rikers. The claim stated that he was often returned to Rikers before fully recovering at Bellevue.
Rikers Island has been under increased scrutiny for its treatment of detainees and unsafe conditions. A federal judge last year paved the way for a potential federal takeover, noting that the city had placed inmates in “unconstitutional danger.”
