Polanski Nabbed – Can't Get Away

     How bout that Roman Polanski? He is now taking his case to the highest court in Switzerland after his latest bail request was rejected. Did he really have the cajones to request bail? Like he wouldn’t be out of the country before the ink dried on the bail papers. Herve Temime, Polanski’s lawyers said, “We will seek to demonstrate that there is no risk in ordering Roman Polanski’s release.” Even Michael Jackson would be laughing his ass off at that one.

     The moviemaker, who is now 76, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in the U.S. but fled to France in 1978 before he could be sentenced, has been behind bars since he was arrested last month (Sep09) as he travelled to a film festival in Zurich. Guess that just goes to show – just because you have money doesn’t mean you have brains. Bet he won’t want to be attending any movie festivals anytime soon.
Amid protests from his native France and from his former homeland of Poland, he now faces a court battle over extradition, and perhaps even a new trial in Los Angeles.

     French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand was “stunned” to hear about the arrest, his office said, adding President Nicolas Sarkozy was following the case and hoped the matter could be resolved, allowing Polanski to return to his family.

     Since his conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 and his and subsequent flight out of the US, Polanski has avoided countries such as Britain that have extradition treaties with the United States. He has never returned to Los Angeles, where his pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, was murdered by followers of Charles Manson in 1969.

Why did the Swiss choose this moment to arrest Polanski?
     Because the United States asked them to. The authorities over there might have nabbed Polanski in years past, given that he owns a home in a Swiss skiing town and travels there regularly. State and federal prosecutors in the United States may have begun tracking the director’s movements more carefully this year after Polanski tried in December to have his case dismissed from abroad. (Moving to have your criminal charges dropped while you’re still on the run is a good way to infuriate prosecutors.) When the United States asked for him to be arrested, the Swiss authorities had little choice but to comply with the terms of our extradition treaty.

Polanski molested his victim more than 30 years ago. Hasn’t the statute of limitations run on his crime?
     No. The statute of limitations for a crime requires the state to make a formal charge against the defendant within a certain timeframe. Polanski was charged within a few weeks of the crime and pleaded guilty. At this point, he is a fugitive from justice who is awaiting sentencing. Once you’re a fugitive, the statute of limitations clock stops ticking.

Comment from Fred Sanchez - October 20, 2009 at 8:46 pm

Let’s just hope that Swiss officials do the right thing and send this guy back to the states where he can receive some real justice.