Director Polanski appears at Swiss jazz fest
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER – 3 hours ago
Associated Press
MONTREUX, Switzerland — The film director Roman Polanski, free after nine months of detention, arrived Saturday at the Montreux Jazz Festival in his first public appearance since being released this week from house arrest.
Polanski, 76, arrived Saturday evening in a sport utility vehicle with tinted windows. When he emerged, he brushed his fingers through his hair — a trademark gesture — then was ushered into an elevator. Security personnel protected him from an eager crush of photographers.
Polanski's wife, the actress and singer Emmanuelle Seigner, performed shortly after his arrival, wearing a flannel shirt, a black hat and jeans.
"That was the theme to 'Rosemary's Baby,'" she said after her first song — a reference to the 1968 film directed by Polanski.
The Oscar-winning director was freed Monday from house arrest when the Swiss government refused to deport him to the United States. He still faces an Interpol warrant in effect for 188 countries for a 1977 child sex case.
Swiss authorities allowed him to spend most of his detention at his chalet in the Swiss mountain resort of Gstaad.
In an interview Saturday with Swiss television, excerpts of which were broadcast on France-2 television, Polanski thanked "the millions of people who kept sending me messages of support during those nine long months."
"I would also certainly thank my wife Emmanuelle (and) my children, without whom I would have never been able to hold onto my dignity and perseverance," he said.
"For the moment, I'm happy to be free and to be able to do the things I was kept from doing," he said.
He said his son cut off the electronic bracelet that Swiss authorities had required him to wear while he was under house arrest.
"They told me to throw it away, that's it," Polanski said of the authorities. His son "couldn't stand it anymore," so he was given "the privilege" of removing the tracking device.
Roman Polanski arrested
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As I was saying...
LOS ANGELES – The Swiss government asked the U.S. Justice Department to release sealed transcripts in the Roman Polanski case just days before a Los Angeles judge was told that the Swiss did not request that information, according to a letter from Swiss officials that points to apparent miscommunication in the case.
The officials said that the denial of access to the information was the key factor in the refusal to extradite the film maker to the U.S., according to the letter to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland.
A district attorney's spokeswoman said their office was never notified of the Swiss request and did not know that the Justice Department had turned it down.
The letter dated Monday was obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday night. It provided a time line of when the request was filed and when it was turned down.
The letter blamed the denial of extradition solidly on the refusal by the Justice Department to show them transcripts of testimony by the film director's original prosecutor.
"Since the additional documents requested were not transmitted in full, extradition of Roman Polanski to the United States of America is thus denied," said the letter.
Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said she had no comment on the matter.
The Swiss said that they wanted to know whether Polanski, who was being held in a 33-year-old sex case, had already served his sentence.
The Swiss had said from the beginning that their extradition laws allowed Polanski to be sent to the United States only if he was going to be required to serve at least six months in prison. They sought the testimony of original prosecutor Roger Gunson to clarify the matter.
On May 13, the letter said, the justice department "responded that the desired copy of the statement of Roger Gunson could not be given out."
The letter added, "Under these circumstances it cannot be excluded with certainty that Roman Polanski, who was imprisoned in the Chino State Prison for 42 days, has not already served the sentence imposed on him."
It was the first indication that the Swiss were potentially accepting arguments raised by Polanski's lawyers who claimed he was a victim of misconduct by now deceased Superior Court Judge Laurence Rittenband. The letter mentions Rittenband by name and said authorities wanted to know whether Rittenband had promised Polanski that his time undergoing a diagnostic study in prison would be his entire sentence. He had pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.
The request was transmitted to the justice department, they said, on May 5, 2010.
The Polanski defense team had already independently filed its own motion seeking release of the transcript of the three days of secret testimony and argued it should be transmitted to the Swiss government.
But on May 6, 2010, the day after the new request, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office filed papers opposing any such unsealing. They said the testimony was a "conditional examination" conducted only in case a witness was unavailable later. And they said the Swiss had not requested the transcripts.
In a hearing on May 10, Deputy District attorney David Walgren told a judge that the Swiss had not asked for the transcripts and Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said the Swiss had indicated they wanted no further information. He denied the defense request.
On May 13, according to the letter, the Swiss were told by the Justice Department that they would not provide the transcripts.
District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said prosecutors in Los Angeles were never notified of the request. She said the only contact from the Justice Department was a query asking for an explanation of what a conditional examination was.
"We explained it all to them," she said.
Polanski's defense lawyer, Douglas Dalton, said the revelation "supports the need for a formal inquiry into this issue."
The letter ended on a conciliatory note with the Swiss Federal Justice and Police Department officials noting that Polanski, who had been held under house arrest for months at his Swiss home, was a property owner in Gstaad and thus has "a protected value of trust" with the Swiss.
"He is welcome as a buyer and vacation guest in Switzerland and there are no obstacles against necessary traveling in and out for personal use of the property," the letter said.
LOS ANGELES – The Swiss government asked the U.S. Justice Department to release sealed transcripts in the Roman Polanski case just days before a Los Angeles judge was told that the Swiss did not request that information, according to a letter from Swiss officials that points to apparent miscommunication in the case.
The officials said that the denial of access to the information was the key factor in the refusal to extradite the film maker to the U.S., according to the letter to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland.
A district attorney's spokeswoman said their office was never notified of the Swiss request and did not know that the Justice Department had turned it down.
The letter dated Monday was obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday night. It provided a time line of when the request was filed and when it was turned down.
The letter blamed the denial of extradition solidly on the refusal by the Justice Department to show them transcripts of testimony by the film director's original prosecutor.
"Since the additional documents requested were not transmitted in full, extradition of Roman Polanski to the United States of America is thus denied," said the letter.
Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said she had no comment on the matter.
The Swiss said that they wanted to know whether Polanski, who was being held in a 33-year-old sex case, had already served his sentence.
The Swiss had said from the beginning that their extradition laws allowed Polanski to be sent to the United States only if he was going to be required to serve at least six months in prison. They sought the testimony of original prosecutor Roger Gunson to clarify the matter.
On May 13, the letter said, the justice department "responded that the desired copy of the statement of Roger Gunson could not be given out."
The letter added, "Under these circumstances it cannot be excluded with certainty that Roman Polanski, who was imprisoned in the Chino State Prison for 42 days, has not already served the sentence imposed on him."
It was the first indication that the Swiss were potentially accepting arguments raised by Polanski's lawyers who claimed he was a victim of misconduct by now deceased Superior Court Judge Laurence Rittenband. The letter mentions Rittenband by name and said authorities wanted to know whether Rittenband had promised Polanski that his time undergoing a diagnostic study in prison would be his entire sentence. He had pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.
The request was transmitted to the justice department, they said, on May 5, 2010.
The Polanski defense team had already independently filed its own motion seeking release of the transcript of the three days of secret testimony and argued it should be transmitted to the Swiss government.
But on May 6, 2010, the day after the new request, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office filed papers opposing any such unsealing. They said the testimony was a "conditional examination" conducted only in case a witness was unavailable later. And they said the Swiss had not requested the transcripts.
In a hearing on May 10, Deputy District attorney David Walgren told a judge that the Swiss had not asked for the transcripts and Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said the Swiss had indicated they wanted no further information. He denied the defense request.
On May 13, according to the letter, the Swiss were told by the Justice Department that they would not provide the transcripts.
District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said prosecutors in Los Angeles were never notified of the request. She said the only contact from the Justice Department was a query asking for an explanation of what a conditional examination was.
"We explained it all to them," she said.
Polanski's defense lawyer, Douglas Dalton, said the revelation "supports the need for a formal inquiry into this issue."
The letter ended on a conciliatory note with the Swiss Federal Justice and Police Department officials noting that Polanski, who had been held under house arrest for months at his Swiss home, was a property owner in Gstaad and thus has "a protected value of trust" with the Swiss.
"He is welcome as a buyer and vacation guest in Switzerland and there are no obstacles against necessary traveling in and out for personal use of the property," the letter said.
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OK, I agree with the Swiss Court's ruling, but not because European attitudes are different toward sex or that Polanski has "suffered enough".
The court's decision was based on the L.A. District Attorney's refusal to share recent confidential testimony about the original case. It seems clear now that the judge in the original case was circumventing the law by planning to sentence Polanski to more jail time than was originally agreed because he was incensed that the shrinks let him go after 46 days because they were convinced he was unlikely to repeat his crime. He wanted to send him back to the slammer to complete the original 90 days and was then going to add more time to that.
The extradition case was based on Polanski's fleeing the country the day before his sentencing in the original case, not the original case itself. Part of the deal was that he would be deported anyway so all this new L.A. District Attorney business seems nothing more than a waste of tax payer money.
The court's decision was based on the L.A. District Attorney's refusal to share recent confidential testimony about the original case. It seems clear now that the judge in the original case was circumventing the law by planning to sentence Polanski to more jail time than was originally agreed because he was incensed that the shrinks let him go after 46 days because they were convinced he was unlikely to repeat his crime. He wanted to send him back to the slammer to complete the original 90 days and was then going to add more time to that.
The extradition case was based on Polanski's fleeing the country the day before his sentencing in the original case, not the original case itself. Part of the deal was that he would be deported anyway so all this new L.A. District Attorney business seems nothing more than a waste of tax payer money.
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Roman Polanski is a free man. You got a problem with that?
July 12, 2010 | 11:51 am
I'm sure that Glenn Beck will somehow find a way to blame this on some Obamaian socialist conspiracy, but the news Monday morning that a Swiss judge has set Roman Polanski free is probably just the latest example of how different European attitudes about sexual abuse are from the views we hold here in America.
It may well be that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has bungled the Polanski case again, especially since Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf made it clear that the district attorney's request to extradite the 76-year-old filmmaker was undermined by "persisting doubts concerning the presentation of the facts of the case." But it seems clear that the Swiss -- and the French and the Italians, who keep electing as their presidents guys who seem more infatuated with young women than even Hugh Hefner -- just aren't that worked up about the fact that Polanski forced himself on an underage girl more than 30 years ago.
In America, having sex with a 13-year-girl is a crime worthy of punishment, no matter how talented Polanski is as a filmmaker. In Europe, it's hardly worthy of a raised eyebrow, which is why Polanski is still lionized in most European countries, receiving countless awards and happily accepted in polite society. This drives a lot of Americans crazy, since we're at heart a Puritan nation. But in Europe, attitudes are different. Not better. I'm not sure even worse. Just different.
I still believe that if Polanski wants to return to America, he should have to submit himself to the American judicial system and pay whatever price has to be paid. But I suspect this rejection of the district attorney's case marks the end of any persistent efforts to persuade the Europeans to go along with our mores. Hearing that the Swiss had rejected any extradition efforts, France's Minister of Culture, Frederic Mitterrand, said, "The time has now come for calm," as if he were speaking to the crazed Spaniards celebrating their World Cup victory. But what he was really saying, with a supreme Gallic shrug, is that it's time for us to move on. When it comes to Polanski, history will be the only judge.
July 12, 2010 | 11:51 am
I'm sure that Glenn Beck will somehow find a way to blame this on some Obamaian socialist conspiracy, but the news Monday morning that a Swiss judge has set Roman Polanski free is probably just the latest example of how different European attitudes about sexual abuse are from the views we hold here in America.
It may well be that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has bungled the Polanski case again, especially since Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf made it clear that the district attorney's request to extradite the 76-year-old filmmaker was undermined by "persisting doubts concerning the presentation of the facts of the case." But it seems clear that the Swiss -- and the French and the Italians, who keep electing as their presidents guys who seem more infatuated with young women than even Hugh Hefner -- just aren't that worked up about the fact that Polanski forced himself on an underage girl more than 30 years ago.
In America, having sex with a 13-year-girl is a crime worthy of punishment, no matter how talented Polanski is as a filmmaker. In Europe, it's hardly worthy of a raised eyebrow, which is why Polanski is still lionized in most European countries, receiving countless awards and happily accepted in polite society. This drives a lot of Americans crazy, since we're at heart a Puritan nation. But in Europe, attitudes are different. Not better. I'm not sure even worse. Just different.
I still believe that if Polanski wants to return to America, he should have to submit himself to the American judicial system and pay whatever price has to be paid. But I suspect this rejection of the district attorney's case marks the end of any persistent efforts to persuade the Europeans to go along with our mores. Hearing that the Swiss had rejected any extradition efforts, France's Minister of Culture, Frederic Mitterrand, said, "The time has now come for calm," as if he were speaking to the crazed Spaniards celebrating their World Cup victory. But what he was really saying, with a supreme Gallic shrug, is that it's time for us to move on. When it comes to Polanski, history will be the only judge.
"Young men make wars and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution." -- Alec Guinness (Lawrence of Arabia)
Woody Allen comes out in support of Polanski
CANNES, France – Woody Allen has restated his support for fellow filmmaker Roman Polanski, who is in house arrest in connection with a 33-year-old sex scandal.
Allen said Polanski "was embarrassed by the whole thing," "has suffered" and "has paid his dues." He said Polanski is "an artist and is a nice person" who "did something wrong and he paid for it."
Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He was taken into custody in September and is currently under house arrest in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Earlier this week, new allegations surfaced when a British actress claimed Polanski had sexually abused her when she was 16.
It was not clear whether Allen was aware of the new allegations when he made the remarks in an interview Saturday with France Info radio from the Cannes Film Festival. Allen had previously signed a petition calling for Polanski's release.
Allen's relationship with actress Mia Farrow ended in scandal and New York tabloid headlines in 1992, when she found out he was having an affair with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, then 22. Allen married Previn in 1997.
CANNES, France – Woody Allen has restated his support for fellow filmmaker Roman Polanski, who is in house arrest in connection with a 33-year-old sex scandal.
Allen said Polanski "was embarrassed by the whole thing," "has suffered" and "has paid his dues." He said Polanski is "an artist and is a nice person" who "did something wrong and he paid for it."
Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He was taken into custody in September and is currently under house arrest in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Earlier this week, new allegations surfaced when a British actress claimed Polanski had sexually abused her when she was 16.
It was not clear whether Allen was aware of the new allegations when he made the remarks in an interview Saturday with France Info radio from the Cannes Film Festival. Allen had previously signed a petition calling for Polanski's release.
Allen's relationship with actress Mia Farrow ended in scandal and New York tabloid headlines in 1992, when she found out he was having an affair with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, then 22. Allen married Previn in 1997.
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E-mail and a view: Polanski heads for house arrest
By MICHEL EULER, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, November 29, 2009
(11-29) 10:04 PST GSTAAD, Switzerland (AP) --
Roman Polanski is expected to trade the confines of a Swiss jail this week for house arrest in a luxury chalet with a view of the Alps, where he will await a Swiss decision whether to extradite him to the United States.
His three-story stucco and wood home on the edge of Gstaad has its own garden. <span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>He'll be allowed to host parties.</span> A local official has said he may move to protect the film director from the press.
The biggest drawback for Polanski will be that he will be unable to leave the 1,800-square-meter (19,000-square-foot) property without losing $4.5 million in bail.
"He will have no prison regime," said Justice Ministry spokesman Falco Galli. "He is completely free to determine his daily schedule. It's also up to him to get in food and other supplies."
Swiss officials say they still think there is a high risk Polanski will try to flee, even though he will be wearing an electronic monitoring device that will detect any attempt to leave the property.
The arrival of the bail money in Switzerland appeared to be the main remaining obstacle to the transfer from prison, which could happen as soon as Monday, according to Galli.
No special police protection will be provided, either to make sure Polanski remains or to keep spectators and others away, Galli said. He said Polanski could call the local police or a security firm if he feels threatened.
Aldo Kropf, president of the Saanen-Gstaad community, told newspapers he didn't rule out finding a way to remove reporters if neighbors complain. Kropf was quoted by the weekly SonntagsZeitung as saying the local government might stop the public from using the street leading to the Polanski house.
A security firm visited the chalet Saturday and made last-minute preparations for the 76-year-old film director's arrival. Swiss authorities have said he could be there several weeks before a decision is made on the extradition.
Galli said Polanski will have to pay the 2,000 Swiss franc ($2,000) installation fee and the 200 franc monthly maintenance cost.
"Should Polanski leave his house or remove the monitoring band, an alarm will be set off," he said. The Swiss government will confiscate the bail if he leaves the property.
Authorities require that the bracelet be working before Polanski is moved to the chalet. Until then, Polanski remains in a jail outside Zurich, Galli said. Officials declined to say how they would transfer Polanski.
Don Beyer, U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, was quoted by the weekly SonntagsBlick as saying that he advised Polanski to go to the United States on his own to serve whatever sentence he faces.
"Then he can get everything behind him in the Los Angeles court," said Beyer.
Galli said Polanski will be able to go outside to check the mail or entertain guests in the garden and will be able to telephone and send e-mails, work on his films and have parties. Phone conversations will not be monitored.
The director has been in Swiss custody since being arrested Sept. 26 on a U.S. warrant as he arrived in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.
By MICHEL EULER, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, November 29, 2009
(11-29) 10:04 PST GSTAAD, Switzerland (AP) --
Roman Polanski is expected to trade the confines of a Swiss jail this week for house arrest in a luxury chalet with a view of the Alps, where he will await a Swiss decision whether to extradite him to the United States.
His three-story stucco and wood home on the edge of Gstaad has its own garden. <span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>He'll be allowed to host parties.</span> A local official has said he may move to protect the film director from the press.
The biggest drawback for Polanski will be that he will be unable to leave the 1,800-square-meter (19,000-square-foot) property without losing $4.5 million in bail.
"He will have no prison regime," said Justice Ministry spokesman Falco Galli. "He is completely free to determine his daily schedule. It's also up to him to get in food and other supplies."
Swiss officials say they still think there is a high risk Polanski will try to flee, even though he will be wearing an electronic monitoring device that will detect any attempt to leave the property.
The arrival of the bail money in Switzerland appeared to be the main remaining obstacle to the transfer from prison, which could happen as soon as Monday, according to Galli.
No special police protection will be provided, either to make sure Polanski remains or to keep spectators and others away, Galli said. He said Polanski could call the local police or a security firm if he feels threatened.
Aldo Kropf, president of the Saanen-Gstaad community, told newspapers he didn't rule out finding a way to remove reporters if neighbors complain. Kropf was quoted by the weekly SonntagsZeitung as saying the local government might stop the public from using the street leading to the Polanski house.
A security firm visited the chalet Saturday and made last-minute preparations for the 76-year-old film director's arrival. Swiss authorities have said he could be there several weeks before a decision is made on the extradition.
Galli said Polanski will have to pay the 2,000 Swiss franc ($2,000) installation fee and the 200 franc monthly maintenance cost.
"Should Polanski leave his house or remove the monitoring band, an alarm will be set off," he said. The Swiss government will confiscate the bail if he leaves the property.
Authorities require that the bracelet be working before Polanski is moved to the chalet. Until then, Polanski remains in a jail outside Zurich, Galli said. Officials declined to say how they would transfer Polanski.
Don Beyer, U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, was quoted by the weekly SonntagsBlick as saying that he advised Polanski to go to the United States on his own to serve whatever sentence he faces.
"Then he can get everything behind him in the Los Angeles court," said Beyer.
Galli said Polanski will be able to go outside to check the mail or entertain guests in the garden and will be able to telephone and send e-mails, work on his films and have parties. Phone conversations will not be monitored.
The director has been in Swiss custody since being arrested Sept. 26 on a U.S. warrant as he arrived in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.
"What the hell?"
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Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer Wed Nov 25, 2:05 pm ET
GENEVA – 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, Herve Temime in Paris and Chad Hummel in Los Angeles 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.
For the duration of the procedures, it appears Polanski will be confined to his $1.6 million chalet surrounded by snowcapped peaks on the outskirts of Gstaad, one of the most exclusive winter resorts in the world. Celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore have called the town home, and it remains popular with celebrities and royalty.
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer Wed Nov 25, 2:05 pm ET
GENEVA – 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, Herve Temime in Paris and Chad Hummel in Los Angeles 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.
For the duration of the procedures, it appears Polanski will be confined to his $1.6 million chalet surrounded by snowcapped peaks on the outskirts of Gstaad, one of the most exclusive winter resorts in the world. Celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore have called the town home, and it remains popular with celebrities and royalty.
"What the hell?"
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Polanski appeal for bail rejected
BBC News
Director Roman Polanski has lost an appeal to be released on bail from a Swiss jail ahead of his possible extradition to the US. Switzerland's highest criminal court backed an earlier government ruling that there was a high risk of Polanski fleeing the country if he was released.
He is being held in Switzerland over his 1977 US conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He fled the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced.
"According to Swiss law, detention is the rule during the entire extradition proceedings," the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland said in a statement. "The court considered the risk that Roman Polanski might flee if released from custody as high."
Plea bargain
Polanski's lawyer, Herve Temime, said that a further appeal would now be made to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland - the country's highest tribunal.
"We will seek to demonstrate that there is no risk in ordering Roman Polanski's release," Mr Temime said.
He added that Polanski's legal team would "provide even stronger and more suitable guarantees" against him leaving the country.
Polanski was arrested on 26 September as he travelled from France to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. The director, who was originally charged with six offences including rape and sodomy, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with an under-age girl following a plea bargain in 1977. He has not set foot in the US since taking flight, and has settled in France.
Speaking after Polanski's detention, US prosecutors disputed claims that his arrest came out of the blue, saying he had been on an Interpol "wanted list" for years.
"The idea that we have known where he is and we could have gotten him anytime, that just isn't the case," US Marshals Service chief inspector Thomas Hession said.
BBC News
Director Roman Polanski has lost an appeal to be released on bail from a Swiss jail ahead of his possible extradition to the US. Switzerland's highest criminal court backed an earlier government ruling that there was a high risk of Polanski fleeing the country if he was released.
He is being held in Switzerland over his 1977 US conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He fled the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced.
"According to Swiss law, detention is the rule during the entire extradition proceedings," the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland said in a statement. "The court considered the risk that Roman Polanski might flee if released from custody as high."
Plea bargain
Polanski's lawyer, Herve Temime, said that a further appeal would now be made to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland - the country's highest tribunal.
"We will seek to demonstrate that there is no risk in ordering Roman Polanski's release," Mr Temime said.
He added that Polanski's legal team would "provide even stronger and more suitable guarantees" against him leaving the country.
Polanski was arrested on 26 September as he travelled from France to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. The director, who was originally charged with six offences including rape and sodomy, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with an under-age girl following a plea bargain in 1977. He has not set foot in the US since taking flight, and has settled in France.
Speaking after Polanski's detention, US prosecutors disputed claims that his arrest came out of the blue, saying he had been on an Interpol "wanted list" for years.
"The idea that we have known where he is and we could have gotten him anytime, that just isn't the case," US Marshals Service chief inspector Thomas Hession said.
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
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Polanski 'finishing film in jail'
BBC News
Director Roman Polanski is finishing his latest film from jail, according to screenwriter Robert Harris. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Harris said Polanski wanted to finish The Ghost in time for next February's Berlin Film Festival.
"He can make his wishes known from his cell. I don't think he can make phone calls but he can communicate," he said.
Polanski was arrested in Switzerland last month over his 1977 conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He left the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced and has never returned.
The Swiss Justice Ministry denied the 76-year-old bail last week, saying there was a "very high risk that he will flee". Polanski's legal representatives are asking Switzerland's highest criminal court to free him and say they will fight any possible extradition to the US.
The Ghost is based upon Harris's best-selling political thriller which tells the story of a ghost-writer called in to help a former British Prime Minister write his memoirs. It is set against the backdrop of a possible indictment at the International Criminal Court. The movie stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Kim Cattrall. Filming took place in Germany between February and May this year, and Polanski finished editing on the day of his arrest.
According to The Times, the director recently gave instructions about the film score to Alexandre Desplat, the composer best known for writing music for The Queen and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But Harris admitted the film's reception could be affected by the director's current situation.
"We will test to the upper limits the notion that there's no such thing as bad publicity," he said.
The arrest of Polanski, who won an Oscar in 2002 for The Pianist, has prompted an outcry among some politicians and Hollywood heavyweights. But California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the film-maker should not get special treatment because he is a "big-time movie director".
Harris - who also worked with Polanski on the script for a previous, abandoned adaptation of his historical novel, Pompeii - said he did not condone the director's crime, but felt the situation is more complex than some commentators have suggested.
"He was left with little choice but to flee," the writer said. "He has effectively been on probation for 32 years. For this to happen to him now... it seems to me to be bad treatment, especially as the victim herself says that she doesn't want him to be pursued any further."
BBC News
Director Roman Polanski is finishing his latest film from jail, according to screenwriter Robert Harris. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Harris said Polanski wanted to finish The Ghost in time for next February's Berlin Film Festival.
"He can make his wishes known from his cell. I don't think he can make phone calls but he can communicate," he said.
Polanski was arrested in Switzerland last month over his 1977 conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He left the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced and has never returned.
The Swiss Justice Ministry denied the 76-year-old bail last week, saying there was a "very high risk that he will flee". Polanski's legal representatives are asking Switzerland's highest criminal court to free him and say they will fight any possible extradition to the US.
The Ghost is based upon Harris's best-selling political thriller which tells the story of a ghost-writer called in to help a former British Prime Minister write his memoirs. It is set against the backdrop of a possible indictment at the International Criminal Court. The movie stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Kim Cattrall. Filming took place in Germany between February and May this year, and Polanski finished editing on the day of his arrest.
According to The Times, the director recently gave instructions about the film score to Alexandre Desplat, the composer best known for writing music for The Queen and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But Harris admitted the film's reception could be affected by the director's current situation.
"We will test to the upper limits the notion that there's no such thing as bad publicity," he said.
The arrest of Polanski, who won an Oscar in 2002 for The Pianist, has prompted an outcry among some politicians and Hollywood heavyweights. But California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the film-maker should not get special treatment because he is a "big-time movie director".
Harris - who also worked with Polanski on the script for a previous, abandoned adaptation of his historical novel, Pompeii - said he did not condone the director's crime, but felt the situation is more complex than some commentators have suggested.
"He was left with little choice but to flee," the writer said. "He has effectively been on probation for 32 years. For this to happen to him now... it seems to me to be bad treatment, especially as the victim herself says that she doesn't want him to be pursued any further."
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
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Bail denied for Polanski
"Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said the government maintains there is a high risk Polanski may flee if released from custody."
Yeah? You think so?
Edited By Sonic Youth on 1254836314
"Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said the government maintains there is a high risk Polanski may flee if released from custody."
Yeah? You think so?
Edited By Sonic Youth on 1254836314
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
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I don't particularly like children. Under any circumstances there is no way I'm going to ever have children. (One is welcomed to read into the terms "like" and "have" whatever one wants). This is probably why I see nothing wrong with being "paternalistic" (or materialistic, for that mater) when it comes to them. Actually, paternalism, as in being a non equal, controlling side in a relationship, someone who takes charge and sets boundaries, is rather the obligatory demeanor of an adult, any adult, when dealing with children. It's not fun, but then nor is paying higher taxes so one can live in a socially committed society. For some, both may be considered unnatural conducts, but as Rosie Sayer said, Nature is what we were put in this world to rise above.Damien wrote:Sasha Stone of Awards Daily apparently has gotten death threats because she stopped short of calling for Polanski's castration and life imprisonment.
One thing that seems to have been lost in all this hoopla about the arrest is that the 1970s were a very different sexual landscape. Although rape was still rape -- and as far as I'm concerned, Polanski did criminally take advantage of the girl -- sexual mores were such that it was not considered an unspeakable crime against Nature than a 40-something man had sex with a 13-year-old.
It was understood back then that teenagers wanted sex, and some with older men, and that in those more "liberated" times, for the more "enlightened" it was ok for teens and adults to have sex, just as it was in ancient Greece. In fact, you could go to Times Square porno shops (and their equivalents in other cities) and redily buy porn with kids in it. Underage hookers were all over red light districts and East 53th Street in New York was known as the place to pick up underage male hustlers (The Ramones even recorded a song about 53rd Street).
I'm not defending any of this -- although i do think statutory rape laws are archaic, paternalistic, reactionary and stupid -- but I just hope to put into context the environment in which a 13-year-old would have made her way to Jack Nicholson's house with an older man.
Oh, how bizarre of us (?)anonymous wrote:I notice that Americans get very squeamish and very reactionary when it comes to mixing children and sex.
I'd rather live in a country that is "squeamish" about mixing children and sex than in one that sexualizes young people for the perverse pleasure of adults. When I lived in Tokyo, there were vending machines where you could buy used school-girl panties. Not saying it wasn't a scam, but it promotes, in that country in particular, a sexualization of youth that I'm not comfortable with at all.
I volunteer at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children downtown and you would be shocked at some of the things that routinely go on in this country, even within the supposedly safe confines of a child's home. I have zero tolerance for the abuse children and I would be a hypocrite if I leveraged those values for an "Oscar winner".
And, last time I checked, no still means no, Whoppi.
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anonymous wrote:Damien wrote:Sasha Stone of Awards Daily apparently has gotten death threats because she stopped short of calling for Polanski's castration and life imprisonment.
Over at the IMDb Message Boards, anyone who doesn't think Polanski should be castrated and sent to jail for life gets accused of being either a pedophile and/or a rapist.
I notice that Americans get very squeamish and very reactionary when it comes to mixing children and sex. I've read more than one incident where parents were arrested for child pornography for taking pictures of their young kids in the bath.
Um... I take it you didn't hear what happened in England recently.
And this is about rape, not sex. Seriously, don't conflate the two.
Edited By Sonic Youth on 1254412566
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Damien wrote:Sasha Stone of Awards Daily apparently has gotten death threats because she stopped short of calling for Polanski's castration and life imprisonment.
Over at the IMDb Message Boards, anyone who doesn't think Polanski should be castrated and sent to jail for life gets accused of being either a pedophile and/or a rapist.
I notice that Americans get very squeamish and very reactionary when it comes to mixing children and sex. I've read more than one incident where parents were arrested for child pornography for taking pictures of their young kids in the bath.
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Polanski support in Europe, U.S. softens
French government spokesman says director ‘neither above nor below law’
Reuters
PARIS - Film director Roman Polanski, arrested earlier this week in Switzerland, saw support weaken on Wednesday for his effort to evade sentencing in the United States in the rape of a 13-year-old girl three decades ago.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in New York that Polanski's extradition from Switzerland to California to face sentencing on the 1977 sex crime charge was a matter for judges, not diplomats, to handle.
Polanski, 76, was in a Swiss jail after his arrest there four days ago during a visit from his French home.
In France, the government changed its passionate protests about Polanski's arrest to a more measured stance and described the charges as serious. A French government spokesman said the "Chinatown" director was "neither above nor below the law."
Major U.S. newspapers called on the Oscar winner to account for the crime, and commentators said U.S. public opinion was running strongly against Polanski. Few in the cinema world in Hollywood and Europe stepped forward on Wednesday to join his supporters.
Polanski, 76, was arrested in Switzerland over the weekend and his lawyers say he will fight extradition to the United States where he faces a possible jail sentence for pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor in 1977, after first plying her with champagne and tranquilizers.
The director fled the United States fearing a California judge would renege on his initial plea deal, which would have set the director free after spending 42 days in detention while awaiting trial, and instead send him back to prison for years.
Polanski's arrest first drew outrage in Europe's diplomatic and artistic quarters. Around 100 mostly European artists have signed an online French cinema industry petition demanding Polanksi's release, and U.S. directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and David Lynch have joined in.
Support softens
But support in Europe and Hollywood appears to be eroding. Along with the French government's new focus on strictly legal matters, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday said that while Polanski should be offered consular help, ministers need not get involved in the extradition battle.
"The case involves a great director but still, it is also a case of rape, of sex with a child," Tusk said.
French director Luc Besson told RTL radio he liked Polanski but was unsure about the case. "I have great deal of affection for him, he's a man I like a lot, who I know a bit...I don't know anything about this case but I think if you don't show up for a trial, you put yourself in the wrong. I don't have any judgment to make on this but it's true, I have a daughter, she's 13 and if she were raped, I wouldn't think quite the same thing, even 30 years later," Besson said.
In Hollywood, influential movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's call earlier this week for U.S. filmmakers to lobby against Polanski's extradition has fallen on many deaf ears.
There has been only silence from some of Polanski's oldest friends, including actor Jack Nicholson who appeared in 1974's "Chinatown" and at whose home the rape occurred.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg provoked online fury after saying she didn't consider the sex incident to be rape in the strict sense of the word. "It was something, but I don't believe it was rape-rape," Goldberg said on TV chat show "The View."
Editorials in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times said Polanski, 76, should return to account for his crime.
The newspapers dismissed arguments by "The Pianist" director's supporters about his Oscar-winning body of work and the tragic 1969 murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate by followers of cult leader Charles Manson.
"This case has nothing to do with Mr. Polanski's work or his age. It is about an adult preying on a child. Mr. Polanski pleaded guilty to that crime and must account for it," The New York Times said.
Los Angeles Times entertainment reporter Patrick Goldstein wrote that his mail was now "about 100-1 against Polanski."
French government spokesman says director ‘neither above nor below law’
Reuters
PARIS - Film director Roman Polanski, arrested earlier this week in Switzerland, saw support weaken on Wednesday for his effort to evade sentencing in the United States in the rape of a 13-year-old girl three decades ago.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in New York that Polanski's extradition from Switzerland to California to face sentencing on the 1977 sex crime charge was a matter for judges, not diplomats, to handle.
Polanski, 76, was in a Swiss jail after his arrest there four days ago during a visit from his French home.
In France, the government changed its passionate protests about Polanski's arrest to a more measured stance and described the charges as serious. A French government spokesman said the "Chinatown" director was "neither above nor below the law."
Major U.S. newspapers called on the Oscar winner to account for the crime, and commentators said U.S. public opinion was running strongly against Polanski. Few in the cinema world in Hollywood and Europe stepped forward on Wednesday to join his supporters.
Polanski, 76, was arrested in Switzerland over the weekend and his lawyers say he will fight extradition to the United States where he faces a possible jail sentence for pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor in 1977, after first plying her with champagne and tranquilizers.
The director fled the United States fearing a California judge would renege on his initial plea deal, which would have set the director free after spending 42 days in detention while awaiting trial, and instead send him back to prison for years.
Polanski's arrest first drew outrage in Europe's diplomatic and artistic quarters. Around 100 mostly European artists have signed an online French cinema industry petition demanding Polanksi's release, and U.S. directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and David Lynch have joined in.
Support softens
But support in Europe and Hollywood appears to be eroding. Along with the French government's new focus on strictly legal matters, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday said that while Polanski should be offered consular help, ministers need not get involved in the extradition battle.
"The case involves a great director but still, it is also a case of rape, of sex with a child," Tusk said.
French director Luc Besson told RTL radio he liked Polanski but was unsure about the case. "I have great deal of affection for him, he's a man I like a lot, who I know a bit...I don't know anything about this case but I think if you don't show up for a trial, you put yourself in the wrong. I don't have any judgment to make on this but it's true, I have a daughter, she's 13 and if she were raped, I wouldn't think quite the same thing, even 30 years later," Besson said.
In Hollywood, influential movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's call earlier this week for U.S. filmmakers to lobby against Polanski's extradition has fallen on many deaf ears.
There has been only silence from some of Polanski's oldest friends, including actor Jack Nicholson who appeared in 1974's "Chinatown" and at whose home the rape occurred.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg provoked online fury after saying she didn't consider the sex incident to be rape in the strict sense of the word. "It was something, but I don't believe it was rape-rape," Goldberg said on TV chat show "The View."
Editorials in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times said Polanski, 76, should return to account for his crime.
The newspapers dismissed arguments by "The Pianist" director's supporters about his Oscar-winning body of work and the tragic 1969 murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate by followers of cult leader Charles Manson.
"This case has nothing to do with Mr. Polanski's work or his age. It is about an adult preying on a child. Mr. Polanski pleaded guilty to that crime and must account for it," The New York Times said.
Los Angeles Times entertainment reporter Patrick Goldstein wrote that his mail was now "about 100-1 against Polanski."
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
Win Butler