Roman Polanski extradition delayed until next year, Swiss officials say

The Swiss government won't begin the extradition process of director Roman Polanski until sometime next year, officials said today.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office wants to bring the famed director back to California for sentencing in a three-decade-old child sex case. Polanski admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old girl at the home of Jack Nicholson but fled to Europe before sentencing.

He was arrested in Zurich three months ago -- but it remains unclear exactly when the extradition process will  begin.

"There will be nothing more this year. At the earliest, we'll make an announcement early next year as to whether the criteria for extradition have been met," Folco Galli, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry, told ABC News.

Polanski has vowed to fight extradition, and legal experts say it could be a long process. He spent three months in a Zurich prison before being granted bail. He now is living under house arrest at his upscale Alpine chalet.

Swiss officials have said Polanski could face up to two years in prison if brought back to the U.S.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Roman Polanski. Credit: Francois Guillot / AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[DickNasty]

This just stinks all the way around. This parasite is doing everything possible to delay the inevitable and European governments are helping in the delay of justice!!

I won't even get into the enablers in Hollywood and the actors backing a child molester.

[Gill Bates]

This case is ridiculous and hypocritical.

What is the lowest LEGAL age that a girl can get married in the US today?
13 - in one state, 14 in a couple others (look it up).

At the time of the trial it was 13 in several states.

[K.E.]

Dear Anonymous Gates:

Um, you left out the part where he drugged her.

[MikeOHara]

I guess the famed Swiss neutrality is not so neutral after all? It seems as if Switzerland is going through the motions of observing its extradition pact with the US, but in fact wants to protect a famous escaped felon.

[Carl of Arcadia]

Polanski fled the United States on the eve of his sentencing day due to an “astonishing record of misconduct” by the district attorney’s office and the judge who originally oversaw the case. Why is that fact always ignored whenever a summary of the event is mentioned.

[confucius]

He posted bail. Run Roman, run... hahaha. This is just too funny. When will we learn, Roman will always run away. hahahahaha

[Peter]

He should do the jail time. 2 years isn't that long, and he'll finally be able to walk the streets of New York again. Maybe something positive can come from it, he can speak out and rehabilitate, helping others because of his reputation.

[H Smith]

He and Jack should be going to jail for allot more than 2 years, Nicholson at least should be charged as an accomplice and also in the presence of a minor child with drugs and alcohol!!!!

[kooo]

Gill, NOT in California. Look it up.

[Eric M]

Right. He's never going to be extradited. What a dog and pony show. If you have enough fame and wealth you can do whatever you want.

[Richie]

You all need to leave that poor man alone. This has been dragged around for over 30 years. Let the man rest. What he did was wrong, but why waste our tax dollars on a 30 year old case. He has been through enough over the years starting 40 years ago when his 1st wife (Sharon Tate) and is unborn son got butchered up at the hands of Charles Manson and his cohorts.

[mikeohara]

Carl said: "Polanski fled the United States on the eve of his sentencing day due to an 'astonishing record of misconduct' by the district attorney’s office and the judge who originally oversaw the case. Why is that fact always ignored whenever a summary of the event is mentioned. "

Says who? Some documentary producers? Even if that were true, his remedy would have been to appeal and demonstrate the misconduct. He can still do that, once he is sentenced.

[babeltower]

I guess it's the end of the world. It's not just one society corrupted. In this case many.. many countries helped a fugitive for many years, just because he has money. Nobody care for the children. 13 years old is a child. Sex and children is WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG. If you think otherwise you have a PROBLEM. They never would choose that. Children do things to make who they love happy, even if it's against their wishes. People that take advantage of that and of weird laws made by probably some even worse groups are disgraceful.... but the ACTION and REACTION law can't be changed. You do here, you pay here... soon or later. That's the BIG LAW. And this girl, shame on her, because she got some money from him and now she is on his side. How about the other so many 13 years old little girl, that right now are going through some horrible situation in their lives? We need justice for them. JUSTICE, JUSTICE, JUSTICE. JAIL for this man.. in fact, he is not a man, he is nature's abortion and a coward. Where I was born when the street people catches a thing like that they all call in one word: LIXA. Lixa means: give this thing to the mob and we make justice with our on hands. After the mob takes care, the police grabs the left over and take to the hospital. Of course soon or later they "accidentally" die. It sound like a hate feeling, but in fact it's indifference. After all how can anyone be sympathetic for something less than rock?

[margaret tudor]

@Gill Bates: You do know there is a difference between marriage and rape don't you? Because that is what the original charges were-rape, sodomy, rape with use of drugs-Polansk in case you are unaware PLEADED DOWN to 'unlawful intercourse with a minor under 14'. It was NEVER consensual-read the grand jury transcripts and educate yourself.

@Richie: That 'poor man' drugged, raped and sodomized a 13 year old child when he was 44 years old. The tragic circumstances of his late wife Sharon Tate's death, and the death of his mother in the Holocaust are NO EXCUSE. He abuse his power in the most vile manner with a child. Your post makes no sense-so what you are saying is as long as one is rich, famous and can make swell movies, and are with the means to escape justice into old age-drugging, and raping a child is a-okay with you as well as escaping from justice-as long as say 30 some odd years have gone by. Right.

[Defacto Arrete666]

The title of this article is misleading the public. Unless the author knows something we don't the Swiss may not extradite Roman Polanski so the extradition is not delayed until next year - but the Swiss Government extradition decision is delayed until next year - and so the title MISREPRESENTS to the LA Times reades the current facts!!!!!

Also Roman Polanski did not spend 3 months in a Zurich prison he spent only 2 months there - so another error!!!!!!

[SusanHelit]

He raped her - that's illegal at any age - and he's never disputed that. And the age of consent at the time in California was 16 - she was nowhere near it - even had she consented - which she emphatically did not.

European countries tend to have much more vacation time than we do - for offices of all kinds to nearly shut entirely down for Christmas is normal - likely half the people they need to do the extradition paperwork are out.

[joe]

If you have enough money you can rape or kill with impunity.

[Jeb Bush / Lez Cheney 2012]

Dear Anonymous Gates

Um, you also left out the part that she said "No" repeatedly. (Per her Grand Jury testamony). Please all Pedophiles, we the non_Pedophiles need better excuses than these... Get to work, call NAMBLA maybe?

[Jeb Bush / Lez Cheney 2012]

Dear Ritchie:

Yes, he has been persecuted all over Europe. Forced to live in mansions. Showered with money and affection by Hollywood A listers! Only gets to bang French underage children. What a tragedy!