Word: polanski
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...Roman Polanski saga has played out like something out of a Polanski movie. His misdeeds of decades past have followed him to the present day in a strange fashion. Despite the assertions by L.A. prosecutors to the contrary, it is likely that, had Polanski’s case not been such a high-profile one, the pursuit of this beleaguered film director would have ended a long time ago. His extradition and arrest do not represent a glorious triumph for the administration of justice everywhere; the Polanski case was hardly an example of finesse and swiftly administered justice. Indeed, Polanski?...
Unsurprisingly, Polanski, a French citizen, is contesting extradition in what is sure to be a lengthy appeals process. One tactic Polanski's legal team may take is to challenge the lawfulness of the arrest warrant on the basis of misconduct during the original legal proceedings. "His lawyers could argue that this is an invalid conviction because it's based on a fraud. Then you could have a Swiss court decide whether or not the proceedings here in Los Angeles were so corrupt that they invalidate the conviction," says Harland Braun, a criminal defense attorney and former deputy district attorney...
Geimer has also joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal, saying she wants the case to be over. She sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement during the original court proceedings. Braun says that is a further argument to put before the Swiss court. "The basis for the extradition would no longer be a conviction or a plea, but whether or not there was a case against him, and there isn't a case against him because the victim has grown up and says she won't testify." Braun continues: "Or a Swiss court says we'll extradite him only...
...Polanski's attempts to appeal his arrest and extradition to the United States fail and he is forced back to Los Angeles, he could face up to four years in state prison for the initial crime he pleaded guilty to before fleeing the United States. He could also face a maximum of three additional years served consecutively if the courts decide to charge him under California state penal code 3059 for leaving the state without permission. "I think it would be very unlikely that he would get that, but that's probably what's possible," says Levenson...
When asked what charges Polanski might face, Gibbons of the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a terse e-mail, "Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. He fled the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Superior Court before the court could sentence him. When he is returned to Los Angeles, he will appear before the court for sentencing. There is really nothing else to discuss because this is a matter that is between the fugitive and the court...