'09
Last week, Roman Polanski’s lawyer made this big farting deal about how Polaski “wouldn’t accept” extradition to the United States, and how they were petitioning the Swiss courts to let Polanski out on bail. Given his track record, I thought it would be a cold day in hell before the Swiss courts started listening to weepy lawyer stories about poor old Polanski, sitting alone in his jail cell, being persecuted. But I was wrong! The Swiss have granted Polanski bail - and if everything goes as planned he’ll soon go under “house arrest” in his Swiss home. Or rather, his “chalet”. So really it’s a “chalet arrest”. And Polanski is going to wear an ankle monitor.
Roman Polanski was granted $4.5 million bail Wednesday, clearing the way for the fugitive director to move within days from a Swiss jail to house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Alpine resort chalet.
The Swiss Justice Minister said she saw no reason to appeal the surprise decision by the Swiss Criminal Court. Polanski would have to remain in Switzerland as authorities assess whether to extradite him to the United States for having sex in Los Angeles in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.
Ministry Spokesman Folco Galli said the final decision on transferring Polanski to his chalet in the Swiss resort of Gstaad would be made “quickly.”
“The 76-year-old appellant is married and the father of two minors,” the court said as it considered Polanski’s offer of a cash bail secured by his apartment in Paris. “It can be assumed that as a responsible father he will, especially in view of his advanced age, attach greater importance to the financial security of his family than a younger person.”
The court said Polanski would be subjected to “constant electronic surveillance” at his chalet and an alarm would be activated if he leaves the premises or takes off the bracelet, adding that the filmmaker was still viewed as a high flight risk.
Polanski’s lawyers Lorenz Erni in Zurich and Herve Temime in Paris declined to comment. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office also had no reaction, spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
The decision came as a surprise after a series of setbacks for the director of “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown,” and “The Pianist.” The Swiss Justice Ministry ordered Polanski arrested Sept. 26 as he arrived in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.
Swiss legal experts had said earlier that Polanski’s chances of bail were slim, and even U.S. authorities expressed confidence that a Swiss court wouldn’t grant his release. The court last month rejected Polanski’s first bail offer of his Gstaad chalet as collateral, which the director claimed made up more than half of his personal wealth and would definitely guard against his flight because he has two children he must support through school.
The court demanded cash instead, and this time looked favorably on Polanski’s offer of a bank guarantee and the threat of sacrificing his family’s home if he fled justice.
“Cash is king,” said Peter Cosandey, a former Zurich prosecutor. Still, he said he could “hardly remember a case where bail is granted to someone who isn’t even a full-time Swiss resident.”
A decision on extraditing Polanski to Los Angeles is still pending, and would also be subject to appeals.
[From The Huffington Post]
The way those gossipy Swiss lawyers (who knew?) make it sound, it’s almost as if Polanski greased a few legal wheels with some kick-backs, right? Do you think that really happened? I thought the Swiss courts were a lot more righteous than that, but perhaps when several million dollars/Euros are floating around, everyone is like, “To the chalet!” Anyway, does anyone want to take bets on Polanski figuring out a way to flee Switzerland for France? Ten bucks says it happens.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Crime, Legal Issues, Roman Polanski
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41 Responses to “Roman Polanski granted bail, he’ll be under house arrest in his Swiss chalet”
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Figures. As usual celeb status wins out over justice and what is right.
Shame he has to suffer so at his Swiss Chalet!
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Oh poor baby is confined to his chalet…they should have let his a$$ rot in there.
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This child rapist is still doing what heck he wants. Where is Dog the bounty hunter when you need him?! He was already in jail for bringing another rich rapist to the USA(Andrew luster) , so why not do it again??? , I’m pretty sure people will forgive you for saying you did not want a nword hearring you say nword to your family members.
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what a punk bitch… He’s not too far from where I’m living now, maybe I should go shove my boot up his ass…
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I know people who got in more trouble for a DUI than this! If only they would have raped a 13 year old they’d be comfy at home!!
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@fizXgirl make it a really big boot.
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Figures. Though rest assured if anyone of us ” normal” folk were to break the ” law” wed be in the clink.
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@fizXgirl314 give him one for me.
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He must have some VERY good contacts or powerful allies… I also agree that he must have bribed a few people.
I have to wonder, does his conscience bother him at all over what he did? He seems to actually believe that his status as a very talented cinematographer gives him the right to escape paying for his actions.
He is an execrable human being, but those who are enabling him and giving him the opportunity to escape, aren’t any better.
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funny I’d bet 4.5 million plus, he’s already gone
i’d cuss but CB’d kick me out. this is just so wrong!
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fizXgirl314: How about make it a steel-toe Guar boot with metal spikes? And please send us all a picture! =D
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It is insane to me that bail was granted to a criminal who fled from justice for 30 years.
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“As usual celeb status wins out over justice and what is right.”
If ever I break the law, I’m going to have my lawyer point out the discrepency between how I am treated and how celebrities get treated.
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This is just wrong.
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He’s still in jail, the Swiss have at least 10 days to appeal the verdict so until then he can’t go anywhere. Hopefully they will reverse this stupid decision.
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I wonder how old his kids are?
Does he sometimes think about what he would do if someone threatens to rape them the way he did?
Would he even be able to then realize what he did was evil, mean, wrong and any word for “bad” you can come up with…
Or still think it was ok? -
It is wrong but at least a lot of people now realize that pedophiles have a disease set in stone. All of the talk about this one made people realize the truth about these constant offenders. They must always be watched. Judge Judy said something similar to this and being a family court judge for so many years, she knows. I’m sure Natassja Kinski agrees. Now people understand the disease and understand the U.S. won’t tolerate it. Everyone wins, he’s under house arrest. It’s something.
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I guess $4.5 million is the going price for freedom for child rapists these days.
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Granting bail and house arrest to someone who was already on the run. They might as well go ahead and schedule a private jet to France as soon as he walks out of jail.
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The quote “Cash is king” refers to the fact that Polanski had to pony up actual cash, not just collateral. If he runs, he’s never seeing that money again. So I don’t think the prosecutor was suggesting bribes.
If there was undue influence, it was probably more in the way of Polanski’s powerful buddies among Euro politicians and celebrities lobbying the Swiss politicians and courts for preferential treatment. Hence the more relevant part of the quote: “…hardly remember a case where bail is granted to someone who isn’t even a full-time Swiss resident.”
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“The Swiss Justice Minister said she saw no reason to appeal the surprise decision by the Swiss Criminal Court.”
I’m sorry, I’m not a lawyer or anything, but wouldn’t the fact that he’s skipped bail before and has spent the years since on the run kind of make a reason??
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For a minute there I read “under house arrest in Swiss Chalet” and thought right-on! Canadian readers will know what I mean…
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“If he runs, he’s never seeing that money again.”
I am sure he has a zillion times more than that in his bank account.
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God damnit Polanski!!!
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Not that I am necessarily a fan of Abba, but –
:: jazz hands ::
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s worldAha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world -
How much could one house possibly be worth, to be worth half of his personal wealth? Now he’s crying poverty, too?
Unless it’s some ridiculous $100 million dollar property. Have pictures of it ever been shown?
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Haaaa! Yeah, good one Bill! Swiss Chalet… *shudder*.
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Money talks.
And if he skips, they get to keep it. Incentives (including the politicos that were probably bribed) all around.
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Am I the only one who actually feels sorry for the guy?
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Why the hell do you feel sorry for him?
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re: Eleanor Plath - yes, I think you’re probably the only one that feels sorry for a man who drugged and raped a child.
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Eleanor Plath: You feel sorry for a child rapist finally getting a taste of justice?
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I see I’m not the only one who wouldn’t be surprised if he somehow manages to wander back into France…
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Yes Eleanor Plath, you are the only one.
There is something about crimes against children that suspend compassion against the perpetrator. I think it is as it should be.
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Oh yes, I feel sorry for the child rapist who got all his celeb buddies to bully the Swiss into letting him out on bail, which at least some of us agree means really “letting him go back to France.” Ummm, no.
He’s 76 and has two minor children? That’s just wrong, in my opinion. They’re going to lose their dad possibly before they graduate college. (Looking at it from their perspective.) I wonder how they feel, knowing now that their father is a child rapist? I’d be cutting off all communication asap were it me.
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What comes around goes around…he’s got to meet his maker eventually and will pay for raping a child then.
Eleanor Plath…ummm, no, don’t feel sorry for peds who rape children. Bet you wouldn’t feel that way if she was your daughter, would you?
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He’s so, so gross — he’s always looked like a rodent.
The only ones to be sorry for are his children who are now completely humiliated. -
I guarantee he will be back in France within a week of being on “house arrest”.
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Yes, Eleanor you and those so called brain-dead intellectuals and Euro trash who think this man’s genius is beyond our provincial little brains, along with some so called high-minded individuals who equate eating meat with rape..yes Eleanor I hope you are alone..
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Eleanor- Yes, you certainly are the only one to feel sorry for him. I cannot imagine anyone feeling sorry for a child rapist.
I personally feel sorry for the victims, not the abusers.
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Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays! Right, little guy?
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