Roman Polanski will not go easily, to America, that is. As both France and Poland urged Switzerland to free the 76-year-old award-winning director on bail, his lawyer said he will fight extradition to the U.S.Polanski was arrested by Swiss police on Saturday on an international warrant. He was arriving in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award from a film festival.
Roman Polanski was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl he photographed during a modeling session at Jack Nicholson's home in Los Angeles in 1977. Samantha Geimer, the "victim," has previously (and repeatedly) asked that all charges be dropped against Roman Polanski, stating that the continued publicity over the decades-old event "causes harm to me, my husband and children".
At the same time, Polanski has maintained that the girl was sexually experienced and had consented. In a deal with prosecutors, Polanski pled guilty to one of six charges against him, unlawful sexual intercourse, and was sent to prison for 42 days for psychological evaluation. Lawyers agreed that would be his full sentence, but the judge tried to renege on the plea bargain, as shown in the 2008 film, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.
Aware the judge would sentence him to more prison time and require his voluntary deportation, Polanski fled to France on the day of his sentencing in 1978. Since then he has basically been a fugitive.
His Academy Award for best director, won for the 2002 film "The Pianist" was accepted by Harrison Ford, who had previously starred in Polanski's 1988 thriller, "Frantic."
It is notable that while the U.S. has had an outstanding warrant on Polanski since 1978, Swiss authorities said American authorities have only been seeking the arrest of the director (worldwide) since 2005.
Any extradition proceedings could be lengthy if Polanski chooses to fight it. THe U.S. request for his transfer must first be examined by the Swiss Justice Ministry, and even if approved it can be appealed at a number of different courts.
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