Wheelchair-Bound Harvey Weinstein's Day in Court: Here's What Happened

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein sat in a wheelchair Wednesday during a hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City — his first public appearance since his 2020 rape conviction was overturned last week.

The 72-year-old looked frail throughout Wednesday's hearing about the retrial of his case. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, reassured the court there's no concern about Weinstein's mental abilities.

Aidala described Weinstein as "sharp as a tack. As sharp as he ever was," according to the Associated Press.

Weinstein, who suffers with cardiac issues and diabetes, was admitted to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital on Friday.

In the now-overturned case, Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape for an attack on aspiring actor Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing himself on a production assistant, Mimi Haley, in 2006. Weinstein pleaded not guilty and maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.

During the hearing, Judge Curtis Farber set a May 29 pretrial court date, with the goal of the retrial starting after Labor Day.

Gloria Allred, lawyer for Haley, held up a "Me Too" sign outside of the courtroom. She said her client, who was not in court Wednesday, has not decided if she will testify at the retrial, according to the AP.

Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and is serving a 16 year sentence in California that was not affected by the decision to overturn the New York case.

He remains in custody in New York and was sent back to Bellevue Hospital, where he is expected to remain until further notice, Aidala said.

"He's in constant pain that he's fighting through," Aidala said outside the courthouse.

Shuttling between jail, court and a hospital bed illustrates the fall from grace for the once-renowned Hollywood A-lister who's known for producing hit movies such as "Pulp Fiction."

Weinstein now spends his days reading behind bars in Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y., including a book on Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt, his lawyer said.

"Harvey Weinstein was used to drinking champagne and eating caviar, and now he's at the commissary paying for potato chips and M&Ms," Aidala said. "He's keeping his chin up, making the best of a horrible situation."

The decision by the New York Court of Appeals to overturn his conviction in a 4-3 vote last week wiped out his 23-year prison term. The ruling came after it was determined the trial judge allowed jurors to see excessive evidence unrelated to the charges against him.

This ruling left many women stunned and angered, especially those who had rejoiced in the significant changes made during the #MeToo movement — sparked by allegations against Weinstein that brought forward the issue of sexual misconduct in Hollywood and other halls of power.

"This is what it's like to be a woman in America, living with male entitlement to our bodies," said actress Ashley Judd, whose on-the-record statement accusing Weinstein of sexually harassing her as a young actor helped launch the case.