Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Judge Shuts Down Polanski's Bid To Resolve Case Without Further Jail Time
Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty
On Monday, a Los Angeles County judge denied filmmaker Roman Polanski's latest bid to resolve his forty-year old statutory rape case without further jail time.
It's been nearly four decades since the filmmaker fled the United States in 1978 after serving 42 days in jail for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl. The Rosemary's Baby director fled the U.S. to avoid serving what he feared would be a substantially longer sentence for the crime, and he hasn't returned to U.S. soil since.
In March, Polanski's attorney argued that although the crime Polanski committed was "indefensible," the 83-year-old had already served enough time for it (beyond his 1978 jail stay, Polanski also served nearly a year in a Swiss prison in the 2000s). Polanski's attorney Harland Braun filed a motion asking L.A. Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon to either ask the District Attorney's office to state on the record whether they intend to have Polanski serve more time, or to allow him to be sentenced in absentia. Braun had stated that Polanski would return to the U.S. if a judge determined that the director had "already done his time," according to City News Service.
Judge Gordon rejected the defense's requests, ruling that there was "no sufficient or compelling basis for reconsideration of these issues," according to City News Service.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
