Switzerland Denies Polanski's Bid for Release

This is strike one in Roman Polanski's current legal battles. Swiss officials have denied his request for an immediate release on bail. They fear he will attempt to flee. Considering he fled the U.S. prior to sentencing in the crime of sex with a minor, this isn't a bad assumption.

Polanski was arrested on Sept. 26th as he arrived in Zurich to receive an award from a film festival. Since fleeing in the late 1970s, authorities in Los Angeles have considered him a convicted felon and a fugitive. Switzerland said there has been an international warrant out on him since 2005.

Since his arrest, a who's who list of Hollywood dignitaries have come to the fore, asking for the 76-year-old director's release. This has led to much criticism over the perception that Hollywood, and celebrities in general, always expect a slap on the wrist, and nothing more, in these sorts of cases.

Polanski was accused of plying then 13-year-old Samantha Gaimer with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill during a modeling shoot in 1977, and raping her. He was indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy, but in a plea bargain, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

For this, he 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.

Samantha Geimer has repeated asked that charges against Polanski be dropped. However, it should be noted that Polanski and Geimer reached a $500,000 settlement in October 1993, according to documents recently released in Los Angeles.

Cokie Roberts: "Take Him (Polanski) Out and Shoot Him"

Quite a few celebrities have chimed in on the side of Roman Polanski, following his recent arrest in Switzerland on thirty-year-old charges of sex with a minor, as well as his fugitive status. Cokie Roberts, not so much.

Speaking on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Roberts said:

"Roman Polanski is a criminal. He raped and drugged and raped and sodomized a child, and then was a fugitive from justice. As far as I'm concerned, just take him out and shoot him."

Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel, chimed in, perhaps a bit taken aback by Roberts' statement, which appeared to be said in jest, and said:

"Ooh, no, no, no, whoa, Cokie. Now, we're both mothers of daughters, and I think Roman Polanski, there should be no dual system of justice in this country. He should not be privileged because he's a famous director or even because he's a victim of the Holocaust. But, I think, one needs to see the documentary that was made, which I thought was very powerful in showing judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. That doesn't mean he should have fled the country. I think he needs to come back, not fight extradition, but find an appropriate way of serving justice at this stage. But I think to be shoot him ..."

The list of Polanski's supports reads like a a Who's Who of Hollywood, including, among others, Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Harvey Weinstein, Pedro Almodóvar and Ethan Coen. This seems, to me, no different than a lot of these types of crimes. You think someone like John Q. Public would get off as easily as Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, or Lindsay Lohan? Nope. This is no different.

Watch the video, from This Week, broadcast Oct. 4th, 2009, via Raw Replay.

Polanski Trial Victim Transcripts Paint a Different Picture

Roman Polanski is a great director, there is no doubt of that. Howver, the 76-year-old Academy Award-winner was recently arrested in Switzerland and now awaits extradition proceedings. Many have sprung to his defense, but excepts of his victim's testimony may dissuade many of his supporters.

In 1978, Polanski was charged with drugging and then having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, Samantha Geimer, at the home of Jack Nicholson. At the time, Polanski said the girl was both experienced and consensual.

The charges were later dropped as part of a plea bargain, with the director admitting to a lesser charge of unlawful sex with a minor. It became apparent that the judge in the case was going to renege on the deal, so Polanski fled the U.S.

The victim in the case, Samantha Geimer, now married with a family, has repeatedly said that she doesn't believe Polanski deserves any more jail time, but excepts of her testimony may sway public opinion in the direction of authorities.

Some damning statements in the testimony, which paints a far different image than that given by Polanski. An example of the victim's testimony:

Q: What did he say?

A: He goes, 'Well, you'll be better.' And I go, 'No, I won't. I have to go home.'

Q: What happened then?

A: He reached over and he kissed me. And I was telling him, 'No,' you know, 'Keep away.'

A: He asked, he goes, 'Are you on the pill?' And I went, 'No.' And he goes, 'When did you last have your period?' And I said, I don't know. A week or two. I'm not sure.'

Q: And what did he say?

A: He goes, 'Come on. You have to remember.' And I told him I didn't.

Q: Did he say anything after that?

A: Yes. He goes, 'Would you want me to go through your back? And I went, 'No.'

Polanski's lawyers said they will fight extradition, so this sort of testimony will be key if the U.S. wants to be successful in their proceedings.

Additionally, LA prosecutor David Wells had admitted Wednesday that on-camera statements he made in the documentary "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" were actually lies. These statements noted that he spoke the presiding judge, Judge Rittenband before sentencing and told the judge that Polanski deserved prison time. These statements had been used as ammo for claims that Polanski was railroaded.

Definitely not good news, on top of Polanski's victim's testimony. Finally, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has called for a boycott of Polanski's films, while at the same time ripping Polanski's supporters "who apparently believe that drugging and raping a 13-year-old child is not a serious crime".

I just feel like, he survived the Holocaust, his wife and unborn baby were killed by the Manson clan, and he's 76. Has he not suffered enough? Perhaps I am too lenient in my views.

The full transcript of Polanski's victim's testimony can be found here.

Roman Polanski Will Fight Extradition: Lawyer

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.

Roman Polanski Arrested, to Be Extradited to the U.S.

Samantha Geimer pictured in 1977 on the left, and now on the right

Roman Polanski, set to receive an award at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, has instead been arrested, and extradition proceedings are underway. The arrest stems from the well-known and three decades-old charges against Polanski for sex with a minor.

Polanski was arrested in the late 1970s and charged with giving drugs and alcohol to a 13-year-old girl, Samantha Geimer, and having unlawful sex with her at Jack Nicholson’s Hollywood home. He maintained that the girl was sexually experienced and had consented.

Samantha Geimer (pictured above) 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".

Two months ago Roman Polanski asked a California appeals court to overturn a judge's refusal to consider his request to throw out the 1977 case in which he pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Judge Peter Espinoza agreed there was misconduct by the original judge in the case, but said Polanski must return to the US to apply for dismissal.

The 2008 film, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, notes the judicial misconduct, purporting to show "a judge more interested in his image than his word or the law."

Roman Polanski now lives permanently in Paris, and is considered by some an international fugitive. It should be noted that the age of consent in Europe ranges from 13 - 17 (Spain is the lowest with 13). 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."

Frederic Mitterrand, France's culture minister said he “strongly regrets that a new ordeal is being inflicted on someone who has already experienced so many of them." He is, fo course, speaking of the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Manson Family, but also of the treatment of Polanski's family during the Holocaust during WWII.