Roman Polanski arrested in Zürich

[Martinus]

I think it's illegal to even bring that up in a US rape case.

I'd be interested to discovery if the victim's status as a non-virgin is a mitigating or extenuating factor even in Polish law.

It's not. I was misinformed - let's leave that post, ok?

[Eddie Teach]

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.

Grumbler is: Wrong. 

[grumbler]

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.

Grumbler is: Wrong. 

That isn't the post Marti was responding to.  The post he was responding to was made over a day later, and read:

So you're saying this should just be forgotten? He drugged and raped a child, and it should just be... forgotten. Because he had the fortitude to stay out of the States for 30 years?

Maybe it could have been done sooner. Maybe they should have tried harder. But the reality is that he did the crime and should pay the time. I feel for the child/woman, but as you said, she's going to have to live with this forever regardless of what happens.

Nothing there about virginity or the mother.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

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.

No it doesn't ... and it's not what I'm saying. (READ my posts and you will see where I specifically say it doesn't mitigate the crime... the oh no he's in France and therefore untouchable lie however should mitigate the retarded legal processes of the trial)  I'm saying they could have caught him this same way a million times over the years and they didn't.

The whole thing is an exercise in melodrama.  He'll likely live out the rest of his life either in a courtroom or a jail cell. And?

Chinatown is still one of the best movies ever made. That's all I care about.

I did read your post.  And I read this one and I still dont fully understand the point you are trying to make.  Are you suggesting that nothing is accomplished by sending him to jail?  Are you suggesting his sentence should be reduced because he has not be apprehended all these years? 

And as for being able to catch him a million times, do you have some actual knowledge about that or are you just assuming that since it has been so long that they must have had a million chances?

If you do have some knowledge as to how US authorities could have apprehended him a millions times then it would be interesting to know how that could have been done.

I would imagine the same way they check for terrorists. Does he fly under an assumed name? He's been to many countries with extradition including Switzerland, over the years.

All speculation on my part. But maybe law enforcement types really are that stupid. I don't really know.

I am uncertain what I really think on this issue. I tend to the harshest possible sentence for pedophiles. I don't think Polanski is a pedophile. He is a rapist and should do some time... but I'm guessing he'll stay out of jail through appeals etc. (tho it's obvious he's a flight risk) So maybe he'll stay in jail til he dies of old age (he is in 70's)  Both seem possible to me. I highly doubt he'll end up cleared somehow.

so any "so-called Liberal" moments I may have defending his art I still think he should have already done time. I don't think until this recent documenary sparked a re-interest in him, that the authorities have made it much of a priority.

If you were raped and you had to wait 30 years before anyone even tried to catch the guy you may end up cynical about the process,that's how I see the victim in this. She's like yeah well wow thanks for dealing with it so promptly.

Law enforcement needs as much of a rebuke as Polanski imho? And why doesn't France have extradition to America anyway? Are they not allies? Lame.

[The Minsky Moment]

Apparently comments and letters to newspapers are 50/50 and there's been a few anti-Polanski articles.  But, as the Guardian says, this is the country that gave Jean Genet a full and irrevocable pardon - so he could never be sent to prison again - because of his art.

Who's to say a trip to the slammer won't stimulate the muse?  Perhaps he might even return to his 60s/70s top form.

[jimmy olsen]

I mean surely there is somebody in France glad to see that rapist dude arrested.

Apparently comments and letters to newspapers are 50/50 and there's been a few anti-Polanski articles.  But, as the Guardian says, this is the country that gave Jean Genet a full and irrevocable pardon - so he could never be sent to prison again - because of his art.

Yeah I read that article, absolutely mindbogglingly.

[KRonn]

Well, (first link) I hope this isn't being spun as more harm to the victim now that the offender is caught and may serve his prison time, as some reason to let this all go away. Because no matter what, the big harm is always to the victim who has to deal with things how ever it turns out. But we know how things get analyzed to death, to where we can't see straight, have things so muddled as to a mess. And then we'll still want to hang the next child rapist that gets in the news, and rightly so, but be all confused over Polanski.

I'm also annoyed over this being called a "small mistake", as at least one person says in the second link, and that Polanski shouldn't have to suffer for it. While I'm willing to hear both sides, what he is convicted of, found guilty of, is not a small mistake. Perhaps if he'd done his time likely he'd have been free and clear long ago.

A bunch of producers signed a statement on Polanski's behalf. How nice... maybe they could do so for the next child rapist? Because while I haven't been following this that closely, what I have seen seems to be pretty clear cut that he was convicted of child rape.

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/29/polanski.victim.profile/index.html

Victim: Courts did more harm than Polanski

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/zurich.roman.polanski.arrested/index.html
   
Polanski will fight extradition, lawyers say

[Agelastus]

Did I read that correctly earlier?

He'd been in jail for 42 days and ran away rather than face another 48? When most of us seem to feel he should have had at least a 20 year jail sentence?

I know American prisons are supposed to be bad, but really, that's ridiculous.

[Martinus]

Apparently comments and letters to newspapers are 50/50 and there's been a few anti-Polanski articles.  But, as the Guardian says, this is the country that gave Jean Genet a full and irrevocable pardon - so he could never be sent to prison again - because of his art.

Who's to say a trip to the slammer won't stimulate the muse?  Perhaps he might even return to his 60s/70s top form.

You mean fuck another 13 y.o.?

[Ed Anger]

Did I read that correctly earlier?

He'd been in jail for 42 days and ran away rather than face another 48? When most of us seem to feel he should have had at least a 20 year jail sentence?

I know American prisons are supposed to be bad, but really, that's ridiculous.

He was a twit.

[Zoupa]

Did I read that correctly earlier?

He'd been in jail for 42 days and ran away rather than face another 48? When most of us seem to feel he should have had at least a 20 year jail sentence?

I know American prisons are supposed to be bad, but really, that's ridiculous.

Holy shit really? 

Dude's a real pansy.

[Malthus]

Did I read that correctly earlier?

He'd been in jail for 42 days and ran away rather than face another 48? When most of us seem to feel he should have had at least a 20 year jail sentence?

I know American prisons are supposed to be bad, but really, that's ridiculous.

I believe he ran away because he learned that the judge was going to throw out his sweetheart 48 day plea bargain, and make him go to trial - and face a real sentence.

[Caliga]

I believe he ran away because he learned that the judge was going to throw out his sweetheart 48 day plea bargain, and make him go to trial - and face a real sentence.

Correct.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Did I read that correctly earlier?

He'd been in jail for 42 days and ran away rather than face another 48? When most of us seem to feel he should have had at least a 20 year jail sentence?

I know American prisons are supposed to be bad, but really, that's ridiculous.

I believe he ran away because he learned that the judge was going to throw out his sweetheart 48 day plea bargain, and make him go to trial - and face a real sentence.

I'm pretty sure you are right. He figured the jig was up so he fled to France quicker than a Black Panther on the lam. Will he: being selling BBQs in 5 years?

[Malthus]

To my mind, the really odd question is why the prosecutor would agree to such a deal in the first place.