Roman Polanski “will not accept extradition to the United States”

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Roman Polanski’s lawyer just gave an interview detailing the status of Polanski’s extradition and imprisonment in Switzerland. The lawyer, Herve Temime, also claims that Polanski’s wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, two children Morgane and Elvis are “very upset psychologically by this separation that is a true heartbreak”. Well… I’m not going to mock the problems Seigner and the children. But I will mock this: Polanski’s lawyer is trying to get him released from the Swiss jail while they wait to hear a decision on the extradition to America. Polanski has offered the Swiss a huge amount of money in “bail” and a promise to “remain under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad with electronic bracelet.” Um… yeah, Roman, they’re not going to let you out. They know better. I don’t care how many “solemn commitments” you make, once a fleer, always a fleer.

The wife and two children of Roman Polanski are bearing the brunt of the director’s imprisonment in Switzerland as he awaits a decision on his extradition, his lawyer said in an interview to be published Friday.

Polanski has proposed “very significant” bail money, house arrest and other assurances to find freedom, Herve Temime told the daily Le Figaro. His 76-year-old client “will not accept extradition to the United States,” he said.

U.S. authorities want Polanski to face justice in Los Angeles for having sex with a 13-year-old 32 years ago. A Swiss court official said this week that a bail decision was expected in 2 to 3 weeks.

Polanski, who was arrested Sept. 26 as he arrived in Zurich to collect a film award, is “very courageous” and “I have never heard him complain,” Temime said.

However, his wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, an actress and singer, and his two children are “very upset psychologically by this separation that is a true heartbreak” for them, he said.

The Polish-French director has offered a second time to remain under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad with electronic bracelet in an attempt to overturn a Swiss Justice Ministry decision to deny him bail.

“At the demand of Swiss authorities, he is prepared to offer a very significant sum of money for his financial means to back his solemn commitment” not to leave Switzerland, Temime said without naming an amount.

Temime maintained that Polanski had completed his sentence at the time, with 42 days in jail for psychological testing after being accused of raping the girl after plying her with champagne and a Quaalude pill during a 1977 modeling shoot.

The director of classics like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Chinatown” was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy.

Polanski pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse. In exchange, the judge agreed to drop the remaining charges and sentence him to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. He was released Polanski after 42 days. But when the judge said he was going to send him back to serve out the 90 days, Polanski fled the country on Feb. 1, 1978, the day he was to be sentenced.

Polanski’s lawyer said his client did not get a proper trial.

[From PopEater]

I also love that the lawyer says Polanski “won’t accept” extradition. Is that the new legal maneuver for people who have languished in European splendor for thirty years? You just say you “won’t accept” it, and maybe they’ll let you go. It’s not a very sophisticated legal argument. I think this lawyer may be a hack. And while that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I’d hate to think Polanski would avoid extradition because his lawyer is a moron. It could happen too! You never know.

The black-and-white photo of Polanski is a PR photo from 1976’s ‘The Tenant’. Additional photo of Polanski at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on May 20. Also, Polanski’s wife Emmanuelle Seigner at Paris Fashion Week on October 2, 2008. Credit for all: WENN.

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46 Responses to “Roman Polanski “will not accept extradition to the United States””

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  1. queenie says:

    What woman in her right mind marries a known child rapist? She must be as sick as he is.

  2. Praise St. Angie! says:

    queenie, you took the words right outta my mouth.

    probably the same kind of woman who would date OJ or Chris Brown.

  3. Lem says:

    agreed queenie!

    won’t accept? won’t accept! then we shall force it upon him!

  4. lucy2 says:

    Hmm, I’m sure there are plenty of criminals who do not accept their sentences. Should we just open the jailhouse doors?

    I’m sure it is very difficult for his family, however, his wife did chose to marry and have children with him, knowing his past and his legal status. Don’t jump in the pool and then be surprised and upset that you’re all wet.

    He had his chance at bail, and the result was him fleeing and going on the run for 30 years. There is not one logical reason why they should let him out again until he has faced the courts.

  5. Anna says:

    I am with Polanski on this one. He should fight that extradition tooth and nails. Not only because it’s all completely ludicrous but also because what the Swiss did to Polanski is completely unacceptable. It’s a real travesty. Neutral my arse. I live in Switzerland at the moment and politicians are pretty much trying to sweep this whole mess under the carpet. I am enraged that this nation entrapped him like they did, just to kiss US ass (quite why is another matter entirely).

    I maintain they should let him be. He’s made amends, his victim has made her peace with him legally and emotionally. There’s no reason why this should go on.

  6. fizXgirl314 says:

    how does he plan to stop them exactly??

  7. Kathie says:

    He “won’t accept” extradition to the US? God forbid this “legal arguement” gets out to other criminals facing extradition, no one will come to the court parties we’ve been planning with them as the honored guests, *anguish*. I say get all this moronic manuvering out of the way and get him here! We could have taken a hiking trail and rowboat to Europe and gotten him here by now! Perhaps one of his apologists will pony up for a first class ticket to the US so we can move this along, he can start serving his sentance and thus be able to get home sooner! We need to see all this smoke and mirrors as an extension of what he has been doing for 30 years avoiding the US justice system and payment for the crime he committed!

  8. Firestarter says:

    I love his lawyer labeling him as “courageous”! WTF?

    Someone battling cancer is “courageous”

    Men fighting for their countries are “courageous”

    People defying the odds in life are “courageous”

    A sick, rapist director doing some jail time is not what I woluld call “courageous”

    And screww that, house arrest, what torture to be confined to your Swiss chalet!

  9. mollyb says:

    Aw, poor guy. Here’s hoping the US “won’t accept” child rapists deciding the terms of their punishments.

  10. Praise St. Angie! says:

    “He’s made amends”?

    no, he hasn’t…at least, not to the US justice system.

  11. gg says:

    The man initially had only 48 days to deal with and most likely would’ve been free sooner. The fact that he ran away instead of closing the matter properly is still criminal activity. Buying your way out of your sentence is not to be tolerated. Anywhere.

  12. jeannified says:

    Well, his wife IS from France, I guess they’re more open minded there. It will be interesting to see what happens…if he is actually extridited to the US, and if so, how long his sentence is.

  13. Green Is Good says:

    What an idiot. Why didn’t he just do the 48 days he got originally?

  14. FLO says:

    I wonder would these supporters of Paedolanski be so cavalier if it was their 13 year old daughter he drugged sodomised and raped. How would he feel if some dirty old letch did the same to one of his kids, would he want o forget that and let the sick bastard go free?
    A 13 year old is still considered a chid and THAT seems to be forgoten.

  15. Karin says:

    @Anna:

    The Swiss have done what any proper country should have done ages ago: arrested the guy who had an outstanding arrest warrant out for years. If the US courts decide to go by all your arguments and let him off, fine (or not really, in my opinion). But until that moment comes, he is to be kept in custody and sent to the US to finish the trial and sentencing. Simple as that.

  16. Iggles says:

    Yea, lots of criminals “will not accept” justice for their crimes. They rationalize, they flee, the terrorize, and some even go for suicide rather than face what they have done.

    Be a man Roman, stop playing the victim. You made you bed, now lie it in.

  17. Raven says:

    The article got it wrong. He was sent to a psychiatric facility for evaluation and had made a deal with the DA’s office. However, the judge was running for re-election and had decided he’d do better for himself by not accepting the plea deal. He was going to reject the plea bargain and send Polanski to an actual prison. Word of the judge’s impending action leaked to Polanski, who fled the country.

    Is this woman’s mother alive? Because if she is, she ought to be sharing any cell with Polanski.

  18. Alex says:

    No doubt Raven! Where was the Mom in all of this? I’m not a parent yet but if I was I sure as hell wouldn’t let my 13 yr old daughter go off alone with some jet setting director to God knows where.

    The fact that the 13 yr old had already done drugs and had sex twice at 12 makes me wonder about her Mom. Way to pimp out your kid for money and/or fame!

  19. ~M says:

    I’m going to go out a limb her and say that being drugg3d and rap3d in the @#$ then having to sit on a donut pillow at the premiere of Star Wars might make you “very upset psychologically” a little more than daddy not being home because he’s captured fugitive.

    If Polanski was a man and accepted the fact that he was convicted and served his time, his wife and kids wouldn’t be suffering right now. Instead he chose to run like a little girl being chased by a bee to France.

    Since he was convicted, there is no statute of limitations, and more importantly, I have zero sympathy for this man. If the definition of “extradition back to the United States” suddenly changed to “being ripped apart by a fisherman with a hook for a hand”, I would see if my buddy Joe could get me a discount on that dictionary at Barnes & Noble.

  20. Shane says:

    The craziest part is… at most he was going to do an additional 48 days. But he fled.

  21. OMG says:

    I didn’t accept Bush as my President and that didn’t make him go away.
    Seriously, regardless of whatever ‘consent’ the victim may or may not have given and whatever desire she has for this all to go away now, she was THIRTEEN and drugged at the time of the sodomy. It was rape-rape and Polanski needs to be hung by his ball-balls.

  22. naye in VA says:

    Really at first i was like its over its been over leave him alone, he probably tried to better himself and his life after 32 years right???

    But then i think, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU DONT DESERVE THE HIGHEST PUNISHMNET FOR FORCABLY RAPING A 13 YEAR WITH YOUR OLD ASS.
    48 days and you RAN!! my goodness. I think about that being my child and her saying no no as she was taken in every way possible. how SICK really SICK. i dont care that its been that long. if he was ever sorry for what he did he would have served his time. im sure his victim lived in her own mental prison for a long time

  23. Jorge says:

    I still don’t understand how he only got a 90 day sentence in the first place, When there are 18 year olds serving years in prison for having consensual sex with their 16 year old girlfriends. This guy drugs and rapes a 13 year old against her will and only got 90 days for statutory rape, WTF.

  24. neil says:

    HE
    DRUGGED
    AND
    RAPED
    A
    CHILD!

    f*ck him!

    that said, i still like Chinatown

  25. GatsbyGal says:

    Jesus Christ, who would marry someone fleeing from being convicted for raping a child? And then HAVE CHILDREN with him?? I have no sympathy for her.

    And LOL @ Polanski. What a fucking idiot. Everyone knows he’s gonna run the first chance he gets. I hope he gets extradited and then thrown in jail for the rest of his life.

  26. mj says:

    What gets me is that, in every interview he’s ever given, he has never once grasped the seriousness of what he did, or shown an ounce of remorse. Time to pay up.

  27. Codilla says:

    Anna: How has he made amends? By “apologizing” and throwing some money at his victim? How anyone can sympathize with a man who drugged and raped a child is truly mind boggling.

  28. Samantha says:

    Ricidulous. He “made amends”? That isn’t the point. The point is he drugged and raped a child and then fled the country for years to escape his punishment. If he gets off, he is telling every other sick bastard like himself to hide out long enough and eventually it will all be okay. BS. He should have already been sent back, no debating about it. Kissing US ass? No, they are letting other disgusting pig criminals know that they can’t rape a child and then come into their country like nothing happened. Just because you have hang ups about America doesn’t mean a child rapist should be allowed to roam the streets ANYWHERE – regardless of how famous he is.

  29. SarahAnn says:

    Thanks Jennified, I feel insulted. I am french (and a film student!) and I still wish that sick child rapist had been suffering as much as his victim for many years. I can’t stand the fact he has lived in my country freely and happily for so long, without the authorities doing anything. I hope the US get him back and keep him in jail until he dies. As for Emmanuelle Seigner, well… she’s always been kinda “special”. Never liked her.

  30. Essie says:

    No one has to “accept” an extradition. You are asked if you “accept” or “not accept” an extradition. If you do not accept it then there will be a hearing on whether or not you will be extradited and your lawyer can speak to the judiciary. That is all. It’s just legalese. No need to trash the man’s wife!!

    It’s the same in the U.S. for prisoners who are to be extradited from one state to another state; they accept or not accept and then there is a hearing and, most likely, the prisoner is extradited by Court order.

    P.S.: I have one question . . . when did Switzerland become the United States’s bitch??? Perhaps the same way they because the bitch of the Nazis in WWII!! Good old Switzerland!! Such brave people!!

  31. Film2TV says:

    Jorge I think the reason most of the charges were dropped and he was getting so little time was because of the victim. From the start she and her family have tried to make this go away and I believe they and she have been very insistent in not testifying against him, which is why all we ever get about the night is her grand trial testimony, not the actual trial testimony. Not even sure she even testified at the trial. That’s why they agreed to the deal made and why she seems upset all these years later. She really does not want to testify in her own defense. I get the feeling that somehow someone has laid a guilt trip on her big time and she’s still feeling it years later.

  32. Baho says:

    He won’t “accept” extradition? What an arrogant, self-entitled POS. Matter of fact, isn’t that what got him in trouble in the first place? The man needs an attitude adjustment.

  33. Vibius says:

    So his PR machine realized that no one feels bad for a child rapist when they feel sad so they are using his family?

  34. Cat says:

    Polanski won’t ‘accept’ extradition like his victim didn’t ‘accept’ when he had sex with her.
    Doesn’t feel too good to have it forced on you does it Polanski?

  35. girl says:

    The victim took to civil court and won. As far as I understand, he still hasn’t paid her.

    You’d think that “making amends” might include accepting the consequences of yoru actions so that your victim might have some semblance of peace.

    Even if the judge was going to renege on the plea deal, and it seems there has come to light significant evidence to the contrary, he still had no call to flee the country.

    And as for “not accpeting” extradition, perhaps he should take a few ‘ludes before getting on the plane. Maybe he should have to cry, “No, NO!” while they authorities had their way with him (I mean transporting him, not assaulting him).

    I hope when he gets to prison he gets fisted by someone wearing boxing gloves.

  36. RaraAvis says:

    Why would I give a rat’s ass about his children? He’s 76 years old, for god’s sake. His children should be in their thirties and forties. If he chose to have children as an old man he’s an idiot. My children lost their father when he was 56. Feel sorry for them.

    Throw his wrinkled butt in jail. And make sure he brings enough money back into the US to pay his court fees, which hopefully are astronomical. California could use the money.

  37. Lita says:

    @Anna, when Switzerland is referred to as a “neutral country” they *aren’t* actually referring to neutrality on criminal behaviour. Just fyi.

  38. Lita says:

    Also I don’t get this attitude of Switzerland being “America’s bitch” over this matter. Does the same apply to any country that extradites charged criminals?

    America recently arrested and extradited a couple of (high profile) evil SOB criminals to my country – does that make America my bitch? If so, please grab me a coffee STAT. White, no sugar, thanks.

  39. Who Cares says:

    They should fry his ass!! And I’m disgusted by the number of celebrities that signed a petition to free him. Does being a good director somehow negate drugging and raping a child?

  40. filthy cute says:

    This child-raping piece of sh*t makes me ill. How does being a filmmaker exempt you from having to pay for the crime of sodomizing a baby??? My god, the arrogance is appalling.

  41. CW says:

    My heart goes out to his children, I cannot imagine the pain and suffering they are going through. At such a young age, being taunted at school and in a social environment can break the souls of these children.

  42. Essie says:

    girl, Polanski did pay the victim/her mother, years ago. I believe it was 1/2 million, but it might have been more, I can’t remember. But, he did pay.

    Lita, over the years, the U.S. has asked other countries to extradite Polanski. None did. All of a sudden, the Swiss decide to comply, for what reason, I don’t know. There is speculation that it might have something to do with the secret Swiss bank accounts that the U.S. is trying to make Switzerland reveal. I have no idea, but all of a sudden, after 30 years, they arrest him and the man has been coming and going from Switzerland for all those years. THAT is what makes them a bitch, in my book.

  43. Emily says:

    Yeah, I agree Essie, it’s weird that they just suddenly decided to arrest him. Maybe there’s been a change of minister or something, but I don’t understand it. Just glad someone’s finally got off their arse and nabbed the bastard.

  44. fizXgirl314 says:

    i don’t think the US is going to stop “enquiring about bank accounts” just because they’re going to deliver polanski… if they think that’s going to work, then they’re really stupid… try again…

  45. Sunny says:

    I can’t believe anyone or any country could possibly make excuses for as long as they have, in support of this POS.

    Rape is rape, I don’t care what leads up to it, when someone says no, no means no. When that someone is a child, I say hang the creep! The fact that he’s been able to live amongst supposedly civilized people in supposedly superior countries for this long, without being made an outcast ( nor held accountable in ANY fashion) says MUCH about those people and those countries.

    And as far as those that signed the petition in his favor? I say we boycott every celebrity that put their signature to that paper. I already have, and no I will never forget their names or stop trash talking them. They need to pay almost as much as he does. Especially the women on that list. Turning your back on another woman, especially a child is criminal. Shame. I don’t care who you are. You say it’s ok, your just as much the problem as the pervert perpetrating the crime.

    I don’t think any country involved in this case is the US’s bitch. However I think any that protect him, or even make excuses for him, should be made one ASAP. Because if you can’t protect the children of this world, you deserve it, PERIOD.

  46. Onnena says:

    Its really nice, it’s all so pretty. Are there any forums that you recommend I join ?