[Reuters]Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland 31 years after fleeing trial

Yeah, that's what the prosecution want. The challenge is that it has been so long. I don't know how far the initial proceedings went. It's going to be interesting if everything has to be re-trailed. Also what's Jack Nicholson's role in this. Did he facilitate it?
Riches could always buy their way out. Who knows, maybe Polanski knew the witness testimony will be in his favor, therefore came forward this time. This thing could be all planned by him.

 

No, it's clear he raped her. He gave ludes and booze to a 13-year-old, then took pictures of himself using her sexually. He admitted this. There is no such thing as consentual sex with a 13-year-old. It was rape. He's scum. He deserves punishment.

 

Well it does make difference in sentencing whether one one or two counts.

 

He also could have come forward because he's simply tired of running after all these years. It's probably a huge mental strain to have to worry every day that the US govt is after you, even if he was theoretically safe in France...

 

Possible. But rape conviction means a lot years locked up. I doubt the trade-off is simply peace of mind.

 

Again, just to be clear: there is no such thing as consensual sex with a 13-year-old, especially a drunken, doped-up 13-year-old. It's rape. There's count 1.

He confessed to his crimes in court, then fled the country to avoid sentencing. That's bail-jumping. There's count 2.

Where's the confusion?

 

You mean a frat boy fool around having sex with an under-age girl gets same punishment as someone that intentionally drugs the girl and raped her?

 

What's your point, exactly? As a 44 year old man, HE DRUGGED AND RAPED A 13 YEAR OLD CHILD, ADMITTED IT, AND THEN FLED THE COUNTRY.

 

I'd encourage everyone to see Roman Polanski: Wanted & Desired, a documentary about the case and subsequent trial.

You can debate whether it was suitable to the crime or not, and that is certainly already at issue, but Polanski's lawyer had a deal worked out with the prosecutor & the judge that would have meant Polanski would have been let off with the time he already served in jail awaiting trial.

The judge, well-documented as attention-seeking, began to hear there might be negative PR to this deal, and began to show signs of reneging on the deal. Even the prosecutor of the case admitted that the judge was in the habit of making the lawyers act out arguments that he had already decided on (for the benefit of the news media), admitted that Polanski was getting a raw deal from the judge, and said that he was willing to seek repercussions against the judge if he continued to act in this manner.

So, basically, Polanski had a deal already agreed to, but could no longer trust the judge to carry out the deal as agreed upon, and risked a life sentence if he went back to the trial.

Given that, it is entirely reasonable that he fled the country.

Also, if it matters to anyone, his victim has come forward and expressly does not want Polanski to serve further time.

 

boom! welcome his pedo ace back to America in cuffs. PERVERT.

 

Interesting

Rocket River

 

It was a photo shoot for a magazine at the house of actor Jack Nicholson; they were alone. They found the drugs at the location. Polanski claimed never to have tried them, but the girl had, and took one (IIRC, a Xanax or quaalude or something similar). They undeniably had sex, but given the laws, sentencing guidelines, and attitudes at the time (the grey area in terms of prosecution on rape: the girl was not a virgin, had motive to advance her modeling/acting career by seducing Polanski, etc.), the deal mentioned above for the statutory rape was seen as amenable to the state/prosecutor. Polanski had already been sentenced and served time in a psychiatric hospital, but was let out of the country to work on another film, before final sentencing.

Then the judge wanted to get his name in the paper again, and all heck broke loose.

Here is a decent, though biased (the gentleman reviewer's claim that the sex was entirely "consensual" is not true, and is/was opposed by the victim), review of the case/documentary:

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Is this the Fall of Roman? Bummer. The guy is a brilliant director. Too bad this happened, although he never was tried for it, something everyone should remember before passing judgement. Fleeing what he may have seen as a lynching made sense from his point of view.

 

Folx really weren't saying that when O.J. was slow rolling down the highway

Rocket River

 

Which has what to do with Polanski, RR?

 

I think there is a far fuzzier area if some 17 year old girl has sex with a 19 year old.

Common sense would dictate that a worldly, middle-aged celebrity with a 13 year old girl shold know better. No fuzzy area here. I don't think it matters if there was some shady deal with a judge. The law should be blind to celebrity.

 

ummm yeah. wtf? o.j.?

 

It sounds like grounds for appeal, not grounds for fleeing the country after you raped a 13 year old girl. That anyone is giving this guy anything resembling a pass on what he's done is disturbing. The French should be ashamed of themselves for harboring this guy.

 

A Bail Jumper is a Bail Jumper is a Bail Jumper.

O.J. and A.C. was slow rolling down the freeway cause
the acute history of LYNCHING . . . in this country
IF you didn't have any sympathy for O.J. and his state of mind at that time
Why would you have any for this guy . . . and his state of mind?

Emmet Till?

Rocket River

 

That's exactly the point, though. The law called for him to be sentenced in a certain way, and the judge in the case was willing to ignore that so that he could be the celebrity. The judge wanted press attention. In this case, Polanski's celebrity worked against him.