Polanski seeks to have child molestation charges dropped

Thirty years after he fled the U.S. to avoid sentencing on child molestation charges, Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski has filed a formal request to have the case dismissed.

Lawyers for Polanski, a French citizen, cited misconduct by prosecutors and a judge in papers filed in L.A. County Superior Court today. The attorneys said that 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.

In 1977, Polanski, was charged with several sex crimes involving a 13-year-old girl. He was convicted on charges of unlawful intercourse with a minor but left the United States before sentencing.

The district attorney’s office has not been served with the motion yet, a spokeswoman said.

Polanski, whose directing credits include “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” continued to work in Europe after he fled the United States, winning a best director Oscar for "The Pianist."

There had been much debate in Hollywood and beyond about whether Polanski should be permitted to return to the U.S.

Back then, the director met an actress living in Woodland Hills who allowed him to take photos of her 13-year-old daughter -- ostensibly for a layout Polanski was shooting for French Vogue. After a tryout session, Polanski drove the girl to Jack Nicholson's home. According to the girl, Polanski gave her champagne and a Quaalude and later had sex with her. Her mother went to the police, who arrested Polanski. Nicholson was not at the home at the time of the incident.

Polanski did not deny having sex with the girl but said it was consensual. Two weeks after Polanski was arrested, he was indicted by a grand jury on six counts, including rape, but reached a plea bargain in which he pleaded guilty to a lone count of having sex with a minor, punishable by six months to 50 years in prison. Fearing deportation or prison, Polanski fled to France, which does not extradite its citizens under any circumstances.

--Harriet Ryan

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[adam berner]

of course he should be set free, without further delay.

he is after all a respected member of the wealthy elite.

if gangsters and criminals of status receive hundreds of billions in rewards, or presidential appointments, why should this relatively small one have to face any form of justice.

[Max Jackson]

Um, sorry, but all you people weren't there. You don't know the half of it other than it was under consent. Like where was her mother?

Yes, having sex with 13year-olds is wrong, they should be dating boys in school and not sleeping with 40-something famous directors.

I also think that having somebody's pregnant wife stabbed 30-something times and having the words "PIG" spread with her blood over her kitchen doorway is wrong too. Funny, nobody's pulling the celebrity card over that matter.

If somebody did this to your happy home (and he's been through other crap too), you might be less than well-adjusted.

It's not an excuse. But putting somebody in prison doesn't make them a better person, and that is something I'm dead right about. He's not a menace. Just unforgivably responsible and probably will need a good deal of therapy the rest of his natural life.

If he's truly a rapist child molester then dig me up some dirt on French girls because I doubt he'd have sex with somebody that young again.

[kerry]

Polanski slipped quaaludes into a 13 year-olds drink and then had sex with her---there is no way in hell that's consensual dani.

Does anyone else find it ironic that the following message is posted on this site? The victim in this case was barely old enough to post on this website.

If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate.
Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.

[Richard Irving]

If Polanski comes back, let him know his table's ready at the "Poison" Ivy.

[Will Koper]

Why not let the woman decide? If she is able to forgive him, then we should be too.

[Captain Howdy]

Consensual?! If I was the father of that little girl, he would not be able to find a big enough rock to hide under.

[kitkatcam]

We do not need his kind back in our Country. He was a chicken who ran rather than be convicted. He also was married to Sharon Tate who was killed by Charles Manson while he was away...h-m-m-m. This guy should not get off just because he stayed away for so many years. Justice cannot work differently for the wealthy or famous than for the average person in America.

[robin]

This probably has nothing to do with it but people forget that years before he committed this rape, his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was brutally murdered by the Charles Manson clan. Now i don't know, i have never experienced the death of my wife under those circumstances, but don't you think that experience may have warped his mind. I'm not saying we should excuse what he did, but doesn't that at least help explain his actions???
and I notice everyone speaking on behalf of the girl,not knowing that she has publicly forgiven Polanski for this. I mean if she is cool with it, why aren't we?

[charles krup]

the age of consent should be 13 in the U.S. It used to be 12. In Spain it's still 13.
This country is so puritanical! Also Polanski is a genius, so drop the charges. Yes, geniuses should be given special treatment.

[MeAsT]

Really he didnt have to leave the country he coulda just put out a couple of appologetic cds and act like he did nothing wrong a la R Kelly...21 counts of child molestation all dropped...i still dont see how thats possible....money talks....lock em both up!

[steve kindel]

Interesting that only one reply brought up Sharon Tate (Polanski's wife) murder. I was living in Greece at the time, but I was always convinced that the murder was a put-up job. Polanski, even in those days, was a notorious womanizer. It would have been nice back then if they'd had DNA testing, so they could settle the question of whether the baby was Polanski's, or if he hired Manson t do the deed. You'll never convince me otherwise. If Polanski steps onto American soil, he ought to be arrested for all his past crimes, not just the rape with which he is charged.

[Duane]

This guy is garbage and should be treated as such.

[Ken Camp]

The so-called 13-year-old girl in the case is now an adult and a few years ago back wrote a newspaper commentary about how Polanski should be left alone. Looks like she can move ahead with her life. Why can't the Los Angeles Times readers who appear to be so jealous and bitter?

Ken Camp, Los Angeles

[Ron]

I believe the black gentleman in the background is newsreporter Tony Cox. I agreed with an earlier email. How come there's no outcries of boycott and smear of all the celebrities who visit Polanski and also starred in his movies?

[V. Nabokov]

Roman Polanski est mon héros!

[dreambig]

Wow! Nabokov sees Polanski as his hero. Maybe Nabokov sees OJ Simpson as another hero. Nabokov makes my skin crawl, just as Polanski did. I think Polanski is doing just fine out of this country and that is where he should stay. There are killers on death row who have been forgiven by the murdered victims relatives, but that does not mean they should be let off. Maybe the gentlemen who thinks the charges should be dropped because P is a "genius", would like it if the same thing happened to his 12 or 13 year old daughter. He'd say, oh just forget about it. There is only one person responsible for this crime and it's P. Actually some said the Nazi heirarchy were geniuses, so should they have been forgiven for their crimes?

[Bruno]

Polanski is a hero in France and rightly so. What he did was wrong, but as has been said, the guy survived the holocaust and then had to live through the brutal murder of his wife. Also try to remember that even America wasn't obsessed with paedophillia like the world is today. If the woman can forget and forgive then lets just be grateful for his films which will be remembered long after the people posting here have turned into worm meal.

[Texan]

Roman should have to have some penalty.. How about 80 hours of community service. After all it was 30 years ago and he has escaped incarceration over the last few years...

[A Grun]

The US justice system is a joke, where charges and evidence are fabricated as needed. he would be an idiot to return to the US.

[Ray]

When a crime is committed in this country it's not the victim's job to either forgive or convict the suspect; it's on a court to do this. It doesn't matter how the victim feels about it at this point. While Polanski has not been convicted (due to his cowardly fleeing to Europe) he has indeed admitted his guilt. This isn't about being jealous or bitter toward him; it's about justice and the belief in the judicial process. You people pleading for leniency need to get your priorities straight.

[ch]

The 13 year old who is now about 45 is also asking for a dismissal... Does't mean HE should get one. Maybe she would like it all to go away so she can get on with her life. Either keep your sorry a** in France or return and do your time because you did do the crime. There should be no get out of jail free pass just because you've made some movies. How bad could it have been living in France. No dismissal...........I don't want to loose all faith in our justice system.

[kirk maillet]

maybe roman has lost HIS LUST AND/OR THE ABILITY TO FUNCTION W/ 13 YR OLD GIRL HE CAN DRUG AND SODOMIZE. Maybe he is safe from these crimes against children. Even so we R not immune to apathy to crimes against children here in America. it's a priveligde 2 live here. Stay safe in FRANCE RP they deserve U