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Polanski's Next Escape
In the age of Megan’s Law and To Catch a Predator, it seems anachronistic that the prosecutors agreed in principle with the defense to free Polanski on probation. The probation report, which concluded that Samantha had “consented,” also recommended no jail time. That report, now public, is itself sensational. In it, Polanski admitted to being a social drinker, a regular marijuana user, that he had once experimented with cocaine, and that “he has had 150 milligram Quaaludes legally prescribed for him by his physician because of excessive fatigue from jet travel.”
The victim told the probation officer, and repeated before the grand jury, that after drinking Champagne and taking a pill Polanski had given her, she was in the Jacuzzi when she felt she was having an asthma attack. Although she wanted to call her mother to pick her up, “He told me to go in the other room and lie down.” There, he joined her, and although she says she was “kind of dizzy, you know, like things were kind of blurry sometimes,” he asked her if she was taking birth control pills and when was her last period. Then the sex began.
At one point, according to the probation report, while Polanski was having anal intercourse with Samantha, Anjelica Huston, then Nicholson’s girlfriend, showed up. The probation officer wrote that Huston, “entering the residence, knocking on the bedroom door, stating, ‘Roman, are you in there.’ The defendant went to the door, talked briefly with Miss Houston, then returned to the attempted act of intercourse.”
On the night he was arrested at the Beverly Wilshire, Polanski, according to the probation report, “was apparently attempting to dispose of a 500 milligram Quaalude tablet which was then recovered by the arresting officer.”
The groundskeeper, Helena Kallianiotes, who was present when Polanski opened the Champagne bottle, told the probation officer she thought the girl looked 16 and that the youngster and the director were “lovers.” Huston, who was charged with possessing a vial of cocaine when the police came to search Nicholson’s house, told the police she had seen the girl when she came out of the bedroom.
• Thaddeus Russell: How Young Is Too Young?
• Marcia Clark: Polanski's Lost Alibi
• Robert Goolrick: Polanski's Victim and Me“She didn’t appear to be distressed. She was breathing high in her throat when she came out. He seemed sullen, which I thought was a little rude.” Asked how old she thought the girl was, Huston told the probation officer that “she appeared to be one of those kind of little chicks…she seemed quite tall to me. I would have to say anywhere, you know, about 18, around that age, late teens she looked to me.” By the time she was questioned, Huston knew the case hinged on the girl’s age.
At his 1977 hearing, the prosecutor asked Polanski if he understood that if he pleaded guilty, he could be sentenced from probation to 15 to 20 years in state prison. Polanski said yes. And since the victim was under 14, California law required that mentally disordered sex offender proceedings be commenced to determine whether Polanski should be sent to a “state hospital for an indeterminate amount of time.” Polanski acknowledged he understood this, and that only the judge, Laurence Rittenband, could determine his ultimate sentence. Finally, the prosecutors asked Polanski if he understood that since he was not a U.S. citizen, the immigration service could deport him and bar him from re-entry as an undesirable alien. He again said yes.
“The district attorney will make a motion to dismiss the remaining pending charges after sentencing,” said Assistant District Attorney Roger Gunson. “Other than that promise, has anyone made any promises to you, such as a lesser sentence or probation, or any reward?”
“No.”
Of course that was a lie. The promise made to Polanski was that if he pleaded guilty he would walk free after his mandatory mental evaluation. In September, the judge ordered Polanski to jail for a 90-day psychiatric study. He spent 42 days in Chino State Prison for those tests, which also were favorable and recommended probation.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
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Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
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Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
Does Suzanne Somers Cause Cancer?
Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
At first, I was all about leaving the man alone. It's been a long time.
But after reading the charges, rape, sodomy, oral copulation with a 13-year-old girl given champaign and quaaludes . . .good God.
No. The man is one sick individual. Poor girl.
I know that she's a woman now and has settled with this freak, but the criminal justise system works regardless of civil settlements. Let this man serve his sentence.
On behalf of all young girls everywhere, punish him.
Sorry to bring up race again. Maybe a white celeb who's had a free pass is about to go down(rightfully so) to balance out the recent incarcerations of some black athletes and entertainers. Polanski has a home in Switzerland and could have been extradited decades ago. Why now? Some pressure on Obama from the base?
Really..Obama. Polanski. Loose connection.
Yeah Obama's base asked for more arrests of White criminals,
since we don't have any White people in the U.S. committing
crimes and Bush et. al are all Black, he decided to pick
on a French Jew.
At first, I was all about not caring one way or the other. It's been a long time.
But now, what he did was just plain wrong, he must face the music and now I return to not caring.
Gerard got some of details wrong - she didn't have asthma - she faked asthma to get out of the jacuzzi - that's when he plied her with quaaludes
read the transcript of her testimony - heart breaking
Actually, Gerard gets many facts wrong - it's actually worse
She doesn't have asthma - she fakes asthma to get out of the jacuzzi - that's when Polanski plies her with a quaalude
As she's saying no and he continues to vaginally rape her - during that - is when the topic of birth control and her period comes up - then he sodomizes her
As for as her looking older, she was in middle school. Her birthday was only a few months earlier. If this had happened in Jan instead of March, she would have been 12.
If the evidence is tainted, old, lost, hopefully they can throw the book at him for fleeing sentencing -
It is unlikely that Polanski could be convicted in Calfironia if he can get a new trial, since the victim in Calfironia is not required to testify. However, why can't he be convicted of flight to avoid prosecution?
He admitted to drugging,raping and sodomizing a 13-year
old CHILD, skipped bail and ran like the coward that he
is to live like a king in France for 31 years. He bribed the
victim and due to his fame will walk away without even
seeing another jail cell. Why don't we just open the
gates, and let the other pedophiles walk free? Or simply
remove rape and child molestation from the books.
Well, cmar, we could do what you suggest to obviate the need for sentencing child rapists. Or, we could do as our author suggests and just subject them to a punishing "GLARE OF PUBLICITY" in lieu of prison sentences.
By the way, hello Gerald Posner. How could you write such an eloquent, harrowing, factually thorough account of Polanski's crimes and then come to the craven, schizophrenic conclusion that: "THE GLARE OF PUBLICITY FOR A MATTER POLANSKI WOULD PREFER THE WORLD HAD LONG FORGOTTEN, WILL BE PUNISHMENT ENOUGH IN THE FINAL ACT OF HIS LEGAL ODYSSEY". I highly doubt that you actually believe this final sentence. It is alarmingly incoherent and incongruent with the tone and the content in the rest of the article.
It sounds like one of those instances at Politico, where the editor comes in and tells a journalist to use a term like "Slow Bleed" in a piece about the Democratic plan to defund the Iraq War.
Let's not make this guy into a martyr.
He's a child rapist. And a coward. "Justice" for Roman Polanski would mean a couple of years in the pokie.
The real question is why would the Swiss permit him to come and go as he pleases over the French and Swiss border and then all of a sudden arrest him. The Swiss could be jangled over being forced to release names of bank account holders and possibly figured this release would steam up Democrat supporters. Don't know but the situation is odd indeed. Why now? The Swiss banking system is ruthless nothing more and nothing less.
After all these years the timing does seems curious.
Perhaps some attorney wants publicity.
Perhaps they could look the other way all this time when he
traveled "privately" in and out of the country. How could they
ignore him coming for such a PUBLIC event and ending up
on EVERY international news channel and Newspaper proudly
holding up an award in full view of the Swiss police?
A pedophile being glorified by the Swiss looks a little bad even
for the neutral people of Switzerland. Apparently Hollywood has
no such concerns since they gave him an academy award!
If it required fear of bad publicity instead of ethical conduct, then
who cares WHY he was arrested as long as he WAS arrested.
Re the academy award for The Pianist - the movie was not good. Very disorganized, all-over-the-place script. Its one of those over-hyped award winners that faded away quickly.
so they can continue to hide their Nazi gold.
They have been hiding "Nazi gold" for decades. Arresting
a worshiped pedophile that France and Poland want freed
is not going to help them hold on any closer to their ill-begotten
goods.
This guy needs his nuts cut off. I don't care what he's done since, how many movies he's made or whatever.
The Frogs and the Poles are now saying, "...he's done his pentenance by not being able to go to America or make movies in Hollywood for 40 years...." Even the girl he raped (then paid off) wants him to be let go. What the fuck is going through her tiny little brain? Maybe he can arrainge to meet her kids. BULLSHIT!
If it was my kid, I'd ask that he was released into my custody for about 3 minutes. Enough said.
1) He is French not American. So he has been living at home in
Paris, France. That's NOT punishment.
2) He has continued to make movies as well as receive awards
including an academy award while in "exile".
3) Poland just passed a law requiring chemical castration for
pedophiles. I guess they are tough on child rape only when it
comes to the AVERAGE man, not the rich and famous like
Polanski. What a bunch of hypocrites.
http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE58R21820090928
I didn't know he was convicted and then fled. I thought he just bailed before the trial. Yeah he needs to come back and face the music.
The judge handling the case at that time messed up, rejected the settlement that accompanied the guilty plea.
Subsequently another judge said the first judge made judicial errors.
The real victim is the now 45-year old mother whose three children are periodically reminded of what happened to her.
If Polanski hadn't raped her in the first place, and not skipped out on serving his term, there would be no trauma to re-experience. All he had to do was NOT commit a crime. How hard is it at age 43 NOT to drug, rape, and sodomize a 13-year old kid. It doesn't matter what the judge did or did not do. Polanski is a coward who picked on someone weak and defenseless and he was a wimp for jumping bail. Because of his wealth and fame, he
has been sheltered by other rich and powerful people.
The judge has the right to NOT accept 42-47 DAYS of a pysch eval in jail as proper punishment for drugging, raping, and sodomizing a 13-year old kid.
Lock this animal in a cell with a bad-ass inmate, so Polanski too can get raped and understand how much damage he has caused. This man horifically raped a minor, and skipped abroad to a non-extradition country to flee and mock the American justice system. He deserves the same fate as all other sickos like him are dealt in the court system. I can't believe people are using his film credentials, the death of his wife and his family's tragic fate in WW2 as an excuse to keep this filthy beast out among the public. This is also the only victim we know about, - if he had these obscene desires towards underage women, being a fawned-upon powerbroker in Hollywood - who knows if there are any others who become victim to this disgusting lech. Throw him in jail, and throw away the key. He is an international fugitive, and the victim's good-hearted forgiveness of Polanski certainly does not mean the American justice system has to do the same.
It's called bribing the victim. If you have the money, you too
can get your victim to forgive you. Additionally, all the enablers
attacked the 13-year old kid and her mom instead of the predator.
I'm sure the victim doesn't want the weight of the press and the
Polanski apologists bearing down on her again, she wants it
to go away.
He should have to face the music for his crime. I don't care if he was suffering over the lost of his mother, wife or holocaust withdrawals. Mike Vick had a bad childhood and messed up and went to jail. Polanski is no different. No matter how talented.
"and we are not saved..."
"Dead cops, a victim who will almost certainly not cooperate, and chain of custody problems with the physical evidence has the court in a bind."
No, those *three* items HAVE (not has) the court in a bind.
cop%u22C5y%u22C5ed%u22C5it (%u02C8k%u0252pi%u02CC%u025Bd%u026At)
-verb (used with object)
1. to edit (a manuscript, document, text, etc.) for publication, esp. for punctuation, spelling, grammatical structure, style, etc.
Let Polanski be.
Whatever crimes he committed with the girl, the misconduct between judge and prosecutor was worse.
Polanski had the right to a fair trial but instead agreed to a plea-bargain he believed was negotiated in good faith. But, no, the prosecutor was conspiring with the judge to railroad him.
Sorry, but in my book, that means Polanski walks. That's how we punish prosecutors for putting their thumbs on the scales of justice. Judge and prosecutor should have been disbarred.
Oh my God. Did you honesty sit at your computer and believe what you wrote here? This was a man who raped a 13 year old girl. Not a 'modern' 13 year old who is world-wise, but a 1977 child, who, by all accounts, was forced to have sex against her will.
You need to be sitting in jail with him if you do believe that.
No amount of prosecutorial conspiracy undermines the fact he admitted to this crime and then fled. In a separate article, Polanski says his 42 days is "...enough..." for what he did.
What a delightful comment from a child rapist.
yes lets forget about whether we convict people on fair grounds. Yes the one is more important than the many. If it is true that this was such a horrible crime the judge and prosecutor should have considered that before they fix cases. If they want to see him go to jail dont break the law. Because one may have broken the law doesnt mean another should break the law. Jarussell you are truly without morals. You call him names because he disagrees with you? This is the highest form of a flawed argument. When you cant rebut the argument attack the arguer. Right? Ironically there are studies that show that often the people who protest the loudest are often guilty themselves of the crimes they protest. Recent Republican senators come to mind. Anti homosexual senator caught in airport bathroom soliciting? Conservative governor attacking Clinton for affairs caught in an affair? Here you calling him names. Grow up.
"When you can't rebut the argument attack the arguer."
I have rebutted the argument. He raped a 13 year old child.
This is more drivel from someone who wants to protect a CHILD RAPIST.
Two adults, gay or straight or bi or whatever, involved in a relationship of any kind, as long as they both consent, is perfectly okay. You'll never hear from me concerning a mutual relationship. And I didn't call anyone names in this post, although I will now:
If you think he should be let go with no punishment for raping a child after giving her drugs and alcohol, you are a sick fuck and need your nuts cut off too, you frog-loving son of a turd.
To imply that I am guilty of the same crime for speaking my mind is absolutely disgraceful, and typical of your European mindset that makes you a disgusting hog, er, frog, or whatever. There.
Don't be so hysterical.
To you, "prosecutorial conspiracy" is just a detail to be overlooked when it comes to seeking justice.
To me, what the judge and prosecutor did destroys any possibility of Polanski receiving justice.
Sorry, but I don't believe in allowing prosecutors to do any damn thing they please because of the nature of the crime.
Polanski agreed to a plea-bargain to avoid stand trial. A lighter punishment instead of taking his chances with a jury. If the prosecutor had a problem with that, then withdraw the plea and force Polanski to defend himself in open court. Maybe the case against him was strong. Or maybe it wasn't.
But the prosecutor decided to pull a fast one and conspire with the judge.
And when such misconduct takes place, we let the perp walk because a fair trial is usually impossible.
I believe in justice, fair trials, due process.
What do you believe in -- besides lynch mobs?
Okay, here we go again. Let me speak s-l-o-w-l-y, and LOUDLY, IF YOU NEED IT.
POLANSKI ADMITTED RAPING A 13 YEAR OLD. HE'S AN ADMITTED CHILD RAPIST. C-H-I-L-D R-A-P-I-S-T.
You, my misguided child rapist-supporter, do not know for a fact, legally or otherwise, what transpired between the judge and the DA. It never went to trial, it's never been proven, or, to give you an infintismally small amount of credit, disproven.
All of this, not because the judge and DA colluded, but because the CHILD RAPIST ran away and did not take wait for the trial he so rightfully deserves. To say that Polanski did not or could not receive justice is purely conjecture on your part. Even if you saw it in the movies or on TV. Even if you really, really wish it to be true.
What is fact, is that Polanski admitted then that he did it, and has since tried to defend it by calling her a "..Lolita..." and making all kinds of claims about why he shouldn't be held accountable for his crime, that he admitted, time and time again.
You may call me a believer in lynch mobs........if I do lynch someone, I will stand up and take my trial and punishment like a man, whether there is collusion or not. That's the price you pay when living in our system of justice.
You say you believe in justice, fair trials, and due process for those accused of crimes.
What do you suggest for someone who admits to raping a child?
I only pray that your loved ones never have to experience rape.
Actually, BushDem, the man who raped my wife is serving 45 years. He turned down a plea and took his chances with a jury.
And you have the nerve to believe that 42 DAYS in jail for
drugging, raping and sodomizing a CHILD is enough? That's
twisted. The man admitted to his guilt, there is no question
of him committing the crime.
He just wanted the easy way out like all cowards who pick
on the weak.
Cashmoney- You are truly a disgrace. Are you actually a valid bonafide poster on TDB message boards, or just some paid blog commenter hack employed to support ridiculous positions and rile up the others? Your double-standard is shocking, if infact your wife did really get raped. Imagine if your wife's rapist had enough powerful friends and money to flee before he was sentenced, and was still enjoying a life of luxury in France, because people felt his artistic accomplishments outweighed the trifling matter of your wife's rape trauma.
The worst part of your argument is your clemency of Polanski based on some minor confused judicial proceedures. Another shockingly bad double-standard from you, how about skipping bail and fleeing the American justice before sentencing? Does that not bother you as a person who prioritizes absolute adherence to the law over the rights of a abused child?
Polanski's offense of morality
Displays a Swiss legal duality:
For him, no escape;
But when bankers rape
Like clockwork, it's time for neutrality.
News Short n' Sweet by JFD8
http://twitter.com/JFD8
Have you been anally raped recently? Why don't we
send you to jail and then come back and tell us how
it feels.
It looks like the Swiss are offering up a dead man walking (Polanski) to the nutty American Bible beaters - so they, the Swiss can - sub-rosa, avoid accounting for the tons of gold in their underground vaults, sent by the Nazis from their recycling factories in Belsen and Buchenwald.
Sex in the early teens is considered normal in many countries of the world, including many of the US States. Maybe the US, with the largest incarcerated prison population in the civilized world needs to take a second look. This case smacks of bureaucratic career enhancement, American style.
Polanski was a fool - but even his "victim" says, give it a rest. Sigh.....
Zaxxon, this is a load of shit. You belong in the cell next to him.
Sex in the early teens is normal---between teens. NOT with a man who is 3-4 times the girl's age and who forces her to have sex. That's the definition of rape. I'd bet my left nut that he's done this many times in Europe and gotten away with it. Most sex offenders/predators are repeat offenders. If this happened today, he's be a Megan's Law offender and required by law to report where he lives and what he's doing at all times.
Are you saying that rape is normal?
Being a fool is getting drunk and high and puking all over your host's home, not getting drunk and high and forcing a 13 year old to have oral and anal sex with you.
You're a sick fuck and should have your nuts cut off also. If you're a woman, excuse me, you should just be shot.
Like I said in a previous post, the girl got paid when she was older. If she really doesn't think he should be punished, maybe she could introduce Polanski to her kids and then leave them alone for a while.
jarussell,
Are you not aware that it is often the case that folks plead guilty and do all the rest that goes with that like a recitation of the crime, truthful or not, in order, for whatever reason, to settle the issue. The procedures in such instances usually involve either diminished charges or sentencing.
When a judge and prosecutor conspire to dump the elements of a plea agreement they are committing a crime against the alleged criminal, and I say alleged because if not offered the plea bargain he had a right to go to trial and perhaps beat the rap.
Obviously you are ignorant of court and judicial practices and that when a prosecutor and a judge conspire as here they screw thing up not just for the instant defendant but as well for all who come after him.
This latter is a far more serious crime in the eyes of what most of you folks call a justice system and which I call a perversion. What is the greatest perversion is protestant imbeciles like yourself who are focussed on punishment, punishment, without wanting to recognize that Polanski's right to a fair trial was abrogated by judicial collusion with a prosecutor.
That abrogation of a fair trial is the reason Polanski took off and the judges that now hear the matter should dismiss the charges based on the court's failure to afford him a fair trial.
In this judicial system fair trial is a higher value than trial for virtually any alleged crime because of the potential damage lack of such does to all defendants.
That at least is the ideal. In practice, as we have seen from the host of reversals based on irrefutable DNA evidence, this entire court system is a perversion and it is the perversion that caused Polanski to flee.
I should add I have been charged and tried two times for acts that were not crimes, i.e., remaining after being asked to leave in First Amendment protected forums.
Those charges should have been dismissed instanter they showed up in an arraignment court. Because the base cause for the arrests was political and indeed the courts are political whores they offered me plea bargains, i.e., dismiss in exchange for not suing.
I don't plea bargain if I am right. In both cases juries, that were much smarter than the prosecutors, understood and found me not guilty.
One more thing.
I just noticed above what you would do to a women who has sex with a minor. Obviously in your protestant imbecility you are unaware that the experts who know say that at least for young men an older women is a great gift.
In the societies that didn't make crimes of these matters and didn't frown on such matters sexual liasons hurt nobody, because they had not been proscribed and hence had not the aura of evil.
Of course imbecility is imbecility.
j.
bigjackjj
I am ignorant of a good many things, but one that I am well aware of is the heinous nature of a crime like Polanski committed.
What you are ignorant of is the damage done to kids who are raped by older adults, be they male or female.
When you try to argue that the damage isn't so bad by saying through the ages it has happened many times, you are showing yourself to be an enabler and supporter of CHILD RAPE.
You are a scumbag on the level of Polanski, along with an egomaniac, as evidenced by your post. No one cares about your legal problems, you scumbag.
Children are not capable of consenting to sex with an adult. That's why they are called 'children' instead of 'miniature adults'. If you don't realize this then you need to be incarcerated along with Polanski, possibly with your nuts cut off as well. (I hope they call me if they decide that for you)
In any case, as I have posted here previously, and let me cap this;
THERE WAS NEVER ANY, REPEAT, ANY MISCONDUCT FOUND TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE BY THE PROSECUTION.
Where do I get this information? From the fact that Polanski ran before his court date. What everyone thinks may have been about to happen, never happened. He needs to come back here and face the charges. Personally, I think he'll walk. I hope he gets sent to Poland for compulsory castration, but that's just me.
As for you, calling me an imbecile for wanting to protect children from being raped? I think that speaks for itself.
Please dont lump all Americans together. Many of us have the ability to think rationally.
Its not career enhancement. Its a police force that 'always gets their man' even if the prosecutor doesnt want them to or is unable to prosecute.
1) Sex as a teen, or Sex as a teen with a man more than 3 times your age. I'll argue a 19 year old and 16 year old isn't statutory rape, but a 44 year old and a 13 year old is!
2) The victim does not, and has never wanted the negative publicity that surrounds her and her family. She has never defended him. Her statements all say that prosecuting him over what she calls "legal niceties" is more harmful to her family than letting him be. That is no reason to let him free.
Irrelevent - if the victim had been 50, it would still have been rape. She said no, repeatedly, and he still had sex with her.
His victim was PAID a huge settlement to say GIVE IT A REST! However, as a former victim of child rape, myself, I personally understand that no amount of money will EVER erase the stain of that experience! Just imagine for a moment that you are an innocent little girl...left with a trusted individual...and he turns on you by commiting rape...the only consolation for Roman's victim is the fact that it was an isolated event...it apparently happened to her ONCE...some of us endured YEARS of sexual abuse by nasty old 40 year old grown ass men! I hope Roman is thrown UNDER a jail and is never released.
By the way...its amazing that AMERICANS seem to have more compassion for the animals that Michael Vick was abusing than our children that SEXUAL PREDITORS are abusing. Its unbelievable that someone who has abused DOGS outrages our justice system to the extent that that person will serve more time than the a-holes who abuse children! EVEN MORE UNBELIEVABLE is the fact that Roman Polanski has soooo many defenders!!!! SHAME SHAME SHAME on our society when we care more about amimal rights than those of our children...whom have been abused by ANIMALS like Polanski!!!!
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"cop%u22C5y%u22C5ed%u22C5it (%u02C8k%u0252pi%u02CC%u025Bd%u026At)" was supposed to be the phonetic of "copyedit." Comments field didn't support the weird code. (Either that, or I was sabotaged....)
THIS IS INSANE. In every case the prosecutors first question is "what does the victim want?" Everyone is seething revenge and forgetting that their is a victim here. Her interests dont matter? She will be forced to relive this in public? She wants it to go away. Where are the victims rights advocates??
She got paid by Polanski. Let me repeat it, SHE GOT PAID. She let her name be published when SHE GOT PAID, and gave up her anonymity and her rights as a victim. What she wants doesn't matter. You can't let a criminal go just because that's what the victim wants. What about abusers who brainwash their victims into thinking that they or their family will be hurt if they tell anyone or go to the police?
Your argument sucks and it's irrational. Using your argument means that murderers shouldn't be punished because the victim is dead and can't ask for their killer to be prosecuted.
I bet you wouldn't be on here spouting off like an idiot if it was you or your kid who was the victim.
Where was the girls mother when she was having photo shoots?
Does this show the mother cared?
It's also about rule of law and protecting the public. Giving someone a wad of cash doesn't negate a tendency to rape children. Societal cohesion depends on dangerous offenders like Polanski being separated, punished and rehabilitated.
Posner are you related to Judge Posner??
Really bad timing for the Hollywood hot shot. 11-year-old Jay Cee Dugard held by pervert for over 18 years. Polansky drugs and rapes a 13-year-old girl and Hollywood Lefties and France go crazy. Hollywood loves their pervs. Smart money says this perv will walk and win an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and MTV award!
You are too late, he already won an Oscar and had to receive
the "honor" from France.
If the politicians let him walk, there will be the same level of
outrage as in the Lockerbie bomber deal. We can't continue
to let people who victimize Americans walk away due to
back-room deals.
But he's made such wonderful films! (I'm joking).
I guess that I am perplexed as to why a mom would allow her 13 year old daughter to spend time alone with a 44 year old man. That is almost creepier to me than the rape. Almost....
The mom didn't drug, rape and sodomize this child. She was
stupid for entrusting her child into the hands of this "accomplished"
man's hands. But parents also leave their children into the hands
of priests who go ahead and molest them.
Ultimately, NORMAL 43-year old men can be around 13-year old
children without needing to drug and rape them. Let's leave the
blame where it belongs to the predator.
The blame does belong with the predator, but isn't it kind of a form of child abuse to leave your child alone with someone you don't know that well? And what for? Did he offer her a part in a movie? Would she have left her child alone with Polanski if he wasn't a famous movie producer? Why did the mom trust him so much? What did she THINK he was doing with her? Just taking photos? And if that was the case, why wasn't the mom present? I sure would have been! It wasn't like this poor girl was snatched off the street. Her mother delivered her to Polanski. Maybe she was foolish, maybe naive, maybe misguided, and I am sure that she blamed herself later. Did the mom overlook the impropriety of the situation in order to advance her daughter's career? Was she impressed with, or intimidated by Polanski? Just wondering. Ultimately the blame lies with Polanski, I think he is disgusting, and as a mother and human being, will not watch his movies. P.S And what about Angelica Huston? Didn't she see what was going on? No one did anything, just like they will not do anything now because Polanski is rich, famous and powerful. Money talks.
There are so many distortions to this story it's like looking at a cracked sharded mirror in a house of horrors. There's the victim's mother who at the least was incredibly stupid to allow her daughter go to Polanski's home unchaperoned, Polanski drugging a minor then performing various sexual acts then playing the victim by fleeing, judicial misconduct by the original trial judge and a D.A. That this guy got a deal in the first place is wrong. But the real head scratcher is why the arrests now after 34 years of this going on. Polanski needs to be brought to justice and at the very least found guilty of jumping bail and fleeing the country. To not prosecute sends a wrong message that justice has not been served. But then this is Hollywood justice. Frankly he should remain deported.
To those who defend Roman Polanski out of compassion for an artist who has suffered "so much" from the holocaust to his wife's murder, to the misconduct on the part of the prosecution after he raped this girl. Let's do a compassion test. Change Roman's role to that of a person of color who is not an artist or celebrity and now how do you feel? I would bet that you probably could not care less about the indignities or traumas that person might have suffered and you would be "outraged" if justice were not served. This is written by a white person who can't help but note that people's attitudes seem to shift according to who the guilty party is.
On the other end, talk to anyone who has been raped - whether they tried to "just forget it" or attempted to bring the rapist to justice - rape leaves a permanent imprint on the psyche no matter how emotionally strong the victim is.
If the original judge and/or the prosecutor violated Polanski's right to fair trial, we have a system to deal with them. Polanski should do time for the crime he committed. Nothing more, nothing less.
There should be no statute of limitations for child rape. Roman Polanski should face trial for the rape of 13 yr old and if found guilty, he should have to live out his life under Miami's Julia Tuttle Causeway where the state is sending all the other registered sex offenders. Great journalism Gerald.
Also, just finished Miami Babylon. Loved it and highly reccommend it to your fans!
the moral of the story is that pedophilia is ok if you have the right drugs and enough money
agreed
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what's the max for "flight from prosecution"?
and as for la court system, i live in los angeles, district attorney cooley is on local tv and he doesn't seem blindsided at all.
Way to go Cooley!!
Here's is Secretary of State Clinton's speech from Saturday, September 26th re: "Combating Violence Against Girls"
http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/combating_violence_against_girl s/
Prison for Polanski!!
Thank you.
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