Cheat Sheet
The Best In Brief
Could Polanski Soon Walk Free?
Roman Polanski’s surprise arrest at the Zurich airport could lead to a happy ending for the Polish filmmaker, The Washington Post reports. Polanski’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the charges that have followed him for 31 years, since he fled the United States after pleading guilty to sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old. "I think he will finally get his day in court," criminal defense attorney Steve Cron said, "and there's a good chance his case will be dismissed or the sentence will be commuted to time served." Poland and France are making a joint appeal to the United States to have Polanski released from detention. A HBO documentary raised questions over judicial misconduct in Polanski’s 1977 case, and his victim, Samantha Geimer, has joined the filmmaker’s bid for dismissal after Polanski and she reached a settlement outside of court. The Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby director won an Oscar for The Pianist in 2002 and was in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award when he was detained by Swiss police at the request of U.S. authorities. Extradition could take months.
robwriter
WOWWWW! Osama Bin Ladin's still on the loose, but we nailed that Roman Polanski! Way to go U.S. authorities! I feel sooooooo much safer now that I think I'll start sleeping with all my doors unlocked! What could possibly go wrong now that we got that arch-criminal, international poon-tang terrorist Polanski? This must mean Osama gets his around....2033?
JDK-JDK
I started to suspect a while ago that there is no Osama Bin Laden.
Perhaps there once was...
Either that or, a. our military is very inept, or, b. our intelligence community is very inept, or, c. Bin Laden really is the Boogeyman.
But, you're right, at least we have Polanski, a TRUE scourge, in our grasp!
crymeariver
It's true, until we find Osama Bin Laden, all criminals should be allowed
to get away with ANY thing they want. Hopefully you have a 13-year old
girl to donate to the cause, I'm sure there are some pedophiles on this
board that would like to meet her.
oakely
Not that I disagree with your stance, cry, but doesn't the statue of limitation make this mute? Just asking, I really don't know.
robwriter
My skepticism about US authority has nothing to do with pedophilia. This country just had a visit from Gaddafi, leader of a terrorist state, a man who facilitated and possibly helped plan the murder of hundreds of people. He spoke (if that's the word for it) before the UN General Assembly. US authorities didn't arrest him. Gaddafi, unlike Polanski, has oil to sell. It is a strange set of priorities when authorities dog Polanski, who got a blow job from a kid, but give a pass to mass murderers. Do you get it now?
hithere3
oakely: there is no statute of limitations on felonies. only on misdemeanors and civil cases.
oakely
Thanks, hithere. I thought it was only murder that has no statute of limitation. My bad.
greenkangaroo
I don't get the impression anyone posting is an attorney yet, nor am I, so I'll add my two cents in the meantime: There is a statute of limitations on most felonies ... including this one. I think it is negated when someone is charged, cops a plea, and runs.
Aside from that, IF its true that there were court irregularities in his case, AND he has had no repeat legal issues like this in the past 31 years, AND his victim long ago forgave him (along with a big $ settlement) AND if the truth is as murky as the posts here suggest ... then parole the man and avoid another prolonged media frenzy ... even if the media does need the money.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--ZodiacZeldaAuntBarb
Considering that the victim has asked the charges be dropped, all I see is this costing a lot of money and nothing much coming out of it but some press for the prosecutor.
Just tell him to stay out of the US. He is, after all, a convicted rapist.
I never thought 'Chinatown' was so hot. 'Tess' was ok.
crymeariver
You hear that pedophiles? Living like a King in France
for 31 years is considered time served for drugging, raping
and sodomizing a 13-year old kid. Apply for a visa to
France and molest away!
Oops, just make sure you are rich and famous first and
that you can bribe your victim.Perhaps audition for
"America's got talent" first.
aluxeterna
nah, I hear the real criminals are on Dancing with the Stars.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--ZodiacZeldaWestVillager
I am torn.
He pleaded guilty, then fled. The victim forgave him years ago. (He admitted wrongdoing but rejected punishment and, for everyone's sake, the victim doesn't decide when the law applies.)
Hollywood says his art should be judged separately and that he's already had his share of tragedy but this is the same group that called itself courageous for making a movie about a gay politician 20 years after his assassination. (That doesn't seem like courage to me.)
Most people consider this crime the worst. Once convicted, offenders require protection in prison and the public require yearly registration once released. (All citizens should be protected from those who solve issues through violence and have protection of children.)
My gut says that even if the case is immediately dismissed in court, he shouldn't escape the process. Opinions that I often respect disagree..
JDK-JDK
He was going to be given a very long sentence after agreeing to a plea bargain with the opposing the lawyer. The judge wasn't going to accept the plea bargain.
Look up the judicial misconduct in this case.
WestVillager
That sounds like a good idea.
BigSwami
There is nothing contradictory with saying that The Pianist was an amazing and illuminating piece of art, and also Roman Polanski is a self-confessed rapist who fled the country to avoid prosecution.
There is also nothing contradictory with saying that his victim forgave him long ago, and also that he deserves to be punished for his crime.
WestVillager
I hear ya. It's difficult for me to compartmentalize in this case. It's not a logical dilemma but a moral one. Rapists can create imaginative and appealing works, fine. My trouble is excusing the rape and subsequent crimes enough to allow for the free creation or celebration of later works. Some of the arguments I've heard/read this morning indicate I should excuse it -- even totally.
hithere3
Doesn't matter whether the victim forgave him -- decades later.
A modern Western country should have a zero-tolerance policy for child rape. Period.
WestVillager
I shy away from zero tolerance, even as rhetoric, because it leaves no room for questions. My gut tells me you're right..the victim shouldn't ultimately decide and it's cases like this that further gray instead of better define punishment.
hithere3
i apologize for being unclear. zero tolerance applies strictly to punishment. the trial determines just how guilty someone is, for example, whether there were mitigating circumstances. in this case, polanski pled guilty.
some crimes are so heinous that those who are found guilty of them should enjoy no mercy. it seems to me that sodomizing a 13-year-old girl while she's screaming at you to stop is sufficiently heinous.
maddymappo
She didn't forgive him, she said that the whole experience was so horrible she wants it to be over and doesn't want all this publicity anymore.
WestVillager
I just revisited this thread to see where opinions were earlier in the case. I guess that's even more reason to move forward...
Glenda1976
Only the poor better follow the law. The rich & well connected walk.
WestVillager
I've read for years that the poor are less likely to get away with it -- in terms of FBI crime numbers, witness statements, they are much more likely to get blamed.
winston1
Throw the little critter in jail, not to worry Eric Holder will pardon him.
mjprocko
In liberal society, it's hard to tell what is and is not ok.
Rape and sodomize 13yo and skip the country when found guilty - ok if you are a liberal filmmaker.
Tap your foot under a bathroom stall door - charges filed if you are a republican
Boyfriend runs a male prostitution ring out of your house - ok if you are a liberal politician.
Drop your pants and demand young woman to "suck it" - ok if you area liberal president
Drive drunk off a bridge and leave woman to die - perfectly ok if you are a liberal icon
It's not the crime that the DB crowd holds you to, it's who does it. To bad laws in liberal land aren't meant to be applied equally.
wkiernan
I would like to know which "liberals" you claim are arguing to get this wealthy rapist let off the hook. Can you name one or two? I mean one or two actual people in the real world, not one or two of the horrid demonic boogie men who infest your talk-radio-damaged imagination.
WestVillager
Debra Winger.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--ZodiacZeldasandymc
I so agree with " winston1". Throw him in JAIL, keep him there forever. Too harsh? Send him to Hollywood. Left-wing crazies can babysit him.
mjprocko
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is appealing to US authorities to drop proceedings against Polanski. He is also considering a direct appeal to 0bama to end the proceedings against the filmmaker.
Radoslaw Sikorski is married to journalist Anne Applebaum, a columnist for the Washington Post and Slate, something she forgets to mention in her article praising Polanski and looking to help get the charges dropped.
Typical liberal media, no scrouples what so ever.
CRich2
This whole thing will be a puppet show:
http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/09/where-is-all-the-intellectual-fire-p ower/
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--ZodiacZeldarobwriter
What are we going to do about a President and an administration that systematically falsified "intelligence" that got us into a war that has killed thousands of Americans, who knows how many other nationals, and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars? Why, we'll rail against liberals and Hollywood and blow jobs. We're Americans and we take morality seriously.
hithere3
Zero tolerance for child rape.
Zero.
Doesn't matter if the victim forgave him -- decades later.
Doesn't matter whether he was tricked.
Doesn't matter who he is.
That people seem to want to treat him differently because he's famous makes my blood boil.
hfb1053
Oh, the irony of unintended consequences; he may actually go free now.
jus1drun
why does anyone have sympathy for him?
hfb1053
because times have changed from then to now; 31 years have passed in exile; he was set up; the victim admits he was set up; get over it!
Zagama
Why did the family settle for money if they really wanted justice??? Why if the victim want it forgtten???????? Why , if he was set up, is the victim against his arrest??????????
maddymappo
First of all the victim never admitted to setting him up - that is crap. He drugged and raped a thirteen year old. HEr mother was completely innocent and never set her child up. You are falling for defense attorney smoke and mirrors. Poor 41 year old movie producer the helpless victim of 13 year old girl! Remember the kid even lacked the mental ability to consent to sex, it wouldn't matter if she did but she definately did not. She was forced. The guy is an admitted rapist. He should do the time like anyone else.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--ZodiacZeldaDillon
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
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.