Polanski lawyers to appeal child sex conviction

Lawyers for Roman Polanski will attempt to have proceedings against the Franco-Polish film-maker dropped during a hearing at a Los Angeles appeals court Thursday. Polanski, who is under house arrest in Switzerland, is fighting extradition to the US.

AFP - Lawyers for Roman Polanski will ask a California appeals court Thursday to dismiss the Oscar-winning director's 1977 child sex conviction as he seeks to avoid extradition to the United States.
   
A hearing on the case will be held Thursday at 1800 GMT in the court of appeals for the second district in Los Angeles.
   
Polanski, now 76, is under house arrest in his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland.
   
The defense team will make another attempt to have proceedings against the French-Polish film director dropped, claiming that he did not receive a fair trial at the time of the crime more than 30 years ago.
   
US prosecutors have hunted Polanski ever since he fled in 1978 after admitting unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.
   
The maker of "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" and other classics was detained on September 26 as he arrived in Switzerland to collect an award at the Zurich film festival.
   
After weeks in jail, Polanski on December 4 was allowed to return to the snowbound picturesque grounds of the 1,800 square metre (19,400 square foot) Gstaad property, and officials have said he could welcome any visitors he wants.
   
Swiss authorities however warned Polanski that he will forfeit his bail if he ventures any further, while Interpol has placed countries on alert in case he tries to flee Switzerland.
   
A Swiss court earlier granted Polanski bail of 4.5 million Swiss francs (three million euros, 4.5 million dollars) on condition that he surrenders his passport and wears an electronic bracelet to monitor his location.
   
"Mr Polanski probably wants his lawyers to argue about how the charges against him should be dismissed," said Jean Rosenbluth, a University of Southern California law professor.
   
"I think what the judges would be interested in, instead, is whether the appeal should be dismissed, not the charges against him but the appeal, because everything has changed since Mr Polanski has now been caught," Rosenbluth said.
   
He said the appeals court might hold off on its decision with a delay, or eliminate the appeal altogether, while waiting for Polanski to be brought to the United States.
   
Polanski is also fighting his extradition from Switzerland, in a case still being examined by Swiss authorities.
   
Lawyers for the victim in the case, Samantha Geir, filed a court motion in October in Los Angeles, renewing calls for the case against the director to be dismissed because of the anguish the renewed attention was causing her.
   
Gstaad is a 67-kilometer (42-mile) drive from the closest French border post. Polanski has taken advantage of his French nationality over the years to avoid extradition.
   
French authorities have spoken out against the US attempt to get Polanski.
   

 

Date created : 2009-12-10