‘GRATEFUL’

Secret Testimony in Roman Polanski Sex Case Can Be Unsealed: DA

Decades later, the L.A. County district attorney’s office says it will no longer object to the release of transcripts of a former deputy DA.

Fresh developments in the case against director Roman Polanski could see a breakthrough: On Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office “will no longer object” to the release of the grand jury transcripts of former Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson. It is believed the transcript would confirm a plea deal that would see Polanski sentenced to time served. “This case has been described by the courts as ‘one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,’” Gascón said. “For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know. After careful consideration of the victim’s wishes, the unique and extraordinary circumstances that led to his conditional exam and my commitment to transparency and accountability for all in the justice system, my office has determined it to be in the interest of justice to agree to the unsealing of these transcripts.” In 1977, Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He fled the United States before a sentencing hearing and remains a fugitive to this day. The victim, Samantha Geimer, who has been pleading with the courts to unseal the documents for years, tweeted that she was “even more grateful than I am shocked.”