Polanski

[threeplusfire]

The Polanski story enrages me. If Polanski had murdered someone, run down a kid in a drunk driving incident, stolen millions of dollars from a bunch of investors, burned down a church - would anyone be asking if this extradition was necessary? Yes, It's been decades. Yes, Polanski has made some incredible art and is famous. That doesn't change the fact that he drugged and raped a child, and skipped the country to avoid serving his sentence. That's pretty damned reprehensible. Thinking he should get a pass because he's managed to elude being extradited is even more shitty.

Comments

[grumpydragon.livejournal.com]

How much is it going to cost for all of this?

Obviously he is guilty and should be punished, but when the victim doesn't even want it to happen anymore, and there has been judicial misconduct in the original trial, it seems that there is a point where you say 'this is enough'.

I do not have sympathy for him because he did something terrible, but I also don't want to pay for him to be brought back to America, tried, imprisoned, if the person who is the victim says 'enough is enough'.

[zombiechu.livejournal.com]

I agree, he has been in and out of Switzerland for years, why now? I'm wondering if he did something else recently that will come out if he's extradited. But, even that doesn't make sense, because it would've had to have been in another country. Maybe more U.S. victims have spoken up? Puzzling.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

In December last year, he tried to have the case and his guilty plea dismissed. I think that move probably caused some serious anger. The New York Times article I read said the justic department put out a red flag to Interpol several years ago requesting assistance, and apparently they have nearly arrested him a couple times. (Prevented by other countries dragging their feet.)

[zombiechu.livejournal.com]

Seems a lot of people are speculating it had something to do with the documentary that came out last year too.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1706557,00.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/did-polanski-documentary-spur-polanskis-swiss-arrest.html

[grumpydragon.livejournal.com]

I think that the whole problem is the judge in the original trial throwing out the plea bargain for political reasons. That is what caused this all in the first place.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

But there are legal options to appeal - if Polanski hadn't run away then this would be over and done. If he had appealed, there could have been ethics sanctions for the ex parte communication perhaps, and another judge appointed to handle the sentence. So he's really created this entire horrible circus.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

There's a world of difference between personal forgiveness and legal consequence. The victim doesn't decide the punishment in our legal system.

Maybe Polanski should foot the bill for his flight back. He did create this entire problem.

I don't think we should fail to prosecute crimes because of finances.