Roman Polanski arrested in Zürich

[KRonn]

Wow, WTF is wrong with these people?  It's disgusting how they stick up for an admitted pervert, and criticizing America for "being sneaky" while catching a guy who was on the run for 30 years. 

And asking for bail was the final touch.  I wonder what can go wrong (or right, in some people's minds) with granting bail to a guy who was on the run for 30 years.

Yep. Polanski had pleaded guilty and  was awaiting sentencing, right? This isn't even a case of expiring statue of limitations on a crime, is it? I'm just amazed at some of these outrages over Polanski being caught. And what is up with France not extraditing known and accused criminals?

He is a French citizen, isn't he? Most European countries do not extradite own citizens - in some it is expressly forbidden by their constitutions.

Did he become a French citizen after the crime? Which then I guess it could be argued how he was allowed to become a citizen with a felony hanging over him, depending on French laws which may or may not have allowed it.

[Berkut]

depending on French laws which may or may not have allowed it.

That is some profound incite right there.

[Eddie Teach]

Makes your blood boil, does it?

[Martinus]

Wow, WTF is wrong with these people?  It's disgusting how they stick up for an admitted pervert, and criticizing America for "being sneaky" while catching a guy who was on the run for 30 years. 

And asking for bail was the final touch.  I wonder what can go wrong (or right, in some people's minds) with granting bail to a guy who was on the run for 30 years.

Yep. Polanski had pleaded guilty and  was awaiting sentencing, right? This isn't even a case of expiring statue of limitations on a crime, is it? I'm just amazed at some of these outrages over Polanski being caught. And what is up with France not extraditing known and accused criminals?

He is a French citizen, isn't he? Most European countries do not extradite own citizens - in some it is expressly forbidden by their constitutions.

Did he become a French citizen after the crime? Which then I guess it could be argued how he was allowed to become a citizen with a felony hanging over him, depending on French laws which may or may not have allowed it.

Well, the way such laws usually work, you just can't extradite own citizens, period. So while obvious French law can be different in this respect, I would bet on the timing of his crime vs. his citizenship being irrelevant.

Not to mention the US has no extradition treaty with France, so the point is moot anyway.

[Mr.Penguin]

The Kinsey- Ponlanski story...

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=17027

Thomas Kiernan's biography, "The Roman Polanski Story" was published in 1980, just three years after Polanski fled the United States following his arrest for drugging, raping and sodomizing a 13-year-old girl.

Kiernan's smooth biography is candid about the legendary tyranny, sadism and pedophilia that led to Polanski's rape conviction.

Said Kiernan, "Roman just couldn't understand why screwing a kid should be of concern to anyone. He's screwed plenty of girls younger than this one, he said, and nobody gave a damn."

The child "had practically begged him" – "to f--k her," he said. "So I f--ked a chick," he exclaimed. "So what?"

After the charges of raping the unconscious girl were established, and it was clear that Polanski would go to prison, he fled to England. When in France, he arrogantly displayed pubescent girls under his spell who were used and discarded, shouting "I love young girls … very young girls."

But...but he seemed such a nice guy...

[crazy canuck]

Doesnt France have an extradition treaty with the US?

[Martinus]

Doesnt France have an extradition treaty with the US?

Nope. And again, a country that has a constitution banning extradition of own citizens would not normally be able to sign a treaty pursuant to which it citizens could be extradited. For example Poland, while it has an extradition treaty with the US, still couldn't extradite its own citizens to the US because our constitution prohibits that.

[DisturbedPervert]

Did he become a French citizen after the crime? Which then I guess it could be argued how he was allowed to become a citizen with a felony hanging over him, depending on French laws which may or may not have allowed it.

He was born in France

[KRonn]

Did he become a French citizen after the crime? Which then I guess it could be argued how he was allowed to become a citizen with a felony hanging over him, depending on French laws which may or may not have allowed it.

He was born in France

Ok, I didn't know that. I thought maybe he had moved to France because of this case, in order to avoid prison. But obviously, given the lack of extradition between France and the US, of course he'd go there. This all reminded me of another case, of a man wanted for murder allegations who had moved to France and had some kind of celebrity. Like it was heroic for him, among certain circles, to avoid the law while allegations of murder hung over him.

[jimmy olsen]

I'm trying to remember how old "Timmay" is - I have a feeling he is younger than me, so there is a good chance my anime interests actually predate his.

Hardly relevant.

No? Well whatever you say. If "Timmay" has tainted me in the years I've known him via the internet bulletin boards, its a taint not related to anime.

Actually, if I have been tainted, its by all of you. A decade ago I would only post when I had something serious to say on a subject. Now it feels as if I am approaching the status of a spammer.

Your taste is quite evidently atrocious so I had nothing to do with it. Evangelion, seriously?  The most overrated anime of all time, and Asuka's a stuck up bitch.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Well it was rape because she was underage (and this Does Not mitigate the crime in my eyes) not because he broke into her house and beat her and raped her. He made a really bad judgment gave a kid he knew some grass etc and had sex. He should have done time for those things. He's a creepy Uncle rapist not a predator.

Not exactly what happened. He fed her qualudes and champaign in a hot tub until she was near comatose, and then had sex with her. She was 13. He was 44. They did not know one another prior to his hiring her to be his model for a magazine shoot, and throughout the first shoot he fondled her and touched her inappropriately. The second shoot - at Jack Nicholson's house while Jack was away - it was intentionally just the two of them. He went at this with the intent of having sex with her (she was a virgin, by the way).

I'd say that makes him a predator, and if it were anyone else, no one would have pity on the guy.

and yet she (the victim... the only person harmed by Polanski in this scenario) denies any harm being done. She has to continually relive all this shit... at least now that he's arrested and likely to get a worse sentence than any other rapist maybe that will be over for her? Nope. She still has to live with it.

I think on any 30 year old warrant there is pause to be given to make sure that after all this time, things are still wrapped up correctly. I'm not saying he shouldn't do time. But If it was something that was important to anyone they could have caught him any time they really wanted over the years. Why now?

Are US law enforcement so incompetent that they can't catch a famous movie Director/star whose whereabouts are always known?

Bah. too bad this isn't actually about the crime committed. I noticed too that Marc Emery is finally surrendering for extradition. Maybe it's more to do with USA flexing it's muscles in areas that they feel comfortable. Canada & Switzerland. Wow good job catching those guys who pled guilty.

[derspiess]

I know Euros are Euros, but it still boggles the mind to see them defending this scumbag.

[Admiral Yi]

and yet she (the victim... the only person harmed by Polanski in this scenario) denies any harm being done.

I missed that quote.  Also people who deny any harm being done to them usually don't accept undisclosed settlements.

Are US law enforcement so incompetent that they can't catch a famous movie Director/star whose whereabouts are always known?

Either that or there's this little issue of international law that prevents the FBI from arresting someone on the streets of Paris.

[Caliga]

Whatever sentence he receives should have 3-5 years tacked on to it for inflicting The Ninth Gate on the world. 

[crazy canuck]

and yet she (the victim... the only person harmed by Polanski in this scenario) denies any harm being done.

Thankfully we do not allow that kind of evidence to mitigate the crime.  What he did was violate a 13 year old.  To the extent that she can tell herself that it wasnt so bad in order to cope with what happened is fine for her but it doesn diminish at all what he did.

Just because he has been able to hide out of the reach of the US for this long does not mean he should be able to avoid the consequences of his actions.