Polanski Wants Molestation Case Dismissed

Three decades after director Roman Polanski fled the United States to avoid sentencing on child molestation charges, he is seeking a dismissal of the case. Lawyers for the Academy Award winner filed a formal request in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, saying “a recent HBO documentary about the case, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, ‘revealed a pattern of misconduct and improper communications between the Superior Court and the district attorney’s office in violation of the rule of law and without the knowledge’ of the director and his defense,” the Los Angeles Times reports. The Polish-born, France-based Polanski was convicted on charges of unlawful intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 but fled to France before he was sentenced, fearing deportation or prison. He has since continued directing films in Europe, including The Pianist, for which he won a best director Oscar.