Following his sentencing to 23 years in prison, Hollywoods disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein has returned to Bellevue Hospital due to chest pains. Rikers Island prison staff decided to send Weinstein back to Bellevue "for safety" and "he will be evaluated and likely will stay overnight", a spokesperson for Weinstein told hollywoodreporter.com. "We appreciate the care and concern of the Department of Corrections officers and staff," said his representative.
Weinstein had previously gone to Bellevue when he experienced high blood pressure and heart palpitations, and was transferred to Rikers after having a heart procedure. Weinstein will spend 23 years in a New York State prison after being sentenced by Supreme Court Judge James Burke. The judgment came on Wednesday. He was convicted on February 24 of committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree and third-degree rape. The sentencing ends Weinstein's New York trial, which began on January 6.
His team has said they will appeal the jury's decision to convict him on two of the five charges he faced. Judge Burke, before issuing his sentence, told Weinstein that he will be formally registered as a sex offender. As per a portal, Weinstein got 20 years in prison plus five years of supervised release on the first-degree count of a criminal sexual act. On the other convicted charge, third-degree rape, he was given three years in prison. The judge decided to make the sentences consecutive, rather than concurrent.
Reacting to the judgement, Weinstein's attorney Donna Rotunno said, "Of course it's too harsh. It's ridiculous," adding that the sentencing is "obscene". Before the judgement was announced, Rotunno had told the judge that Weinstein should get a shorter sentence because he has a "long list of illnesses".
