So, if the prosecutor and the judge misbehave, the guilty should go free? That prosecutor and judge were, at worst, conspiring to give Polanski a harsher sentence than 42 days for drugging and forcibly raping and sodomizing a 13 year girl who was begging and pleading with Polanski to stop. But that judge and prosecutor won't be on the case when Polanski is sentenced, if he is extradited. One is dead and the other is retired. So their conspiracy (if there ever was one) will bear no fruit. There will be another judge and another prosecutor handling the case. They will be untainted by the "conspiracy."

By the way, if you are so gullible as to be taken in by an agit-prop film I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

As a father, as a human, you should be ashamed that something like that makes you think a rapist should go free.

I'm ashamed to call myself a liberal and be associated with all you asses who think HE'S the victim here.

If it's in a movie then it must be true. Anyone defending Polanski other than his lawyers is an idiot and a scumbag, and so are you.

People say.."but the victim even wants the case dismissed" Well YEAH, she got paid a ton of money in an out of court settlement.

Gosh, and I just loved how at the end of the Little Mermaid film she and the prince go off happily ever after.....what do you mean that's not how the story really ends? But but but I saw the MOVIE. Disney wouldn't lie. Hans Christian Anderson didn't write the ending that way? I don't believe you. I SAW the MOVIE. It ended happily. So there.

Even if you're foolish enough to think that the movie tells the "real" story of Polanski's trial, the follow-through if you suspect judicial misconduct is not fleeing from the US, but instead appealing to a higher court. Strange to consider, but we don't usually let criminals decide when they've had enough jail.

Thanks for having the courage to post this entry. I agree...

This is so, so, so ignorant that I have to believe it's a joke or a cheap gimmick.

Perhaps you should read the actual court documents to find out, in explicit detail, what this sick rapist did before demanding his freedom.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html

Also, the documentary is full of lies. The key liar admitted to it:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/01/polanski.prosecutor.admits.lie/

Truthfully, even if the movie were 100% true, it would NOT excuse what he did. He raped a 13-year-old girl orally, vaginally, and anally as she pleaded for him to stop. You're a father of two teenage daughters, and you support this guy? My God.

I disagree. Polanski should be extradited and the criminal case should be wrapped up.

The Polanski plea agreement was supported by the victim in order to spare her the ordeal of a trial and end the ordeal of media attention. These were the secondary consequences of being raped by a famous man, traumas she considered much greater than the rape itself. In effect, Polanski's fame was like a gun pointed at the victim, and made his plea bargain the best choice from the victim's point of view. She wanted to get on with her recovery more than she wanted punishment for Polanski.

Polanski's flight from justice has left the victim vulnerable for thirty years to recurrent storms of media attention which she would not otherwise have had to suffer. This situation must be cured, and the only way to do it is to extradite and sentence Polanski.

The judge in the case no doubt screwed things up royally, and the consequences of his actions were terrible for the victim. Those matters should be addressed in court, which is the only place these things can finally put to rest.

But if the court finds it unacceptable to wrap things up with Polanski in his absence (from the safety of France), then he should be brought back to California. It is the fair thing to do for victim. It also has important deterence aspects for other would-be fugitives.

Not all movies are true, but it's instructive to hear from the real people in this movie -- central figures in this case -- before jumping to conclusions. Or I suppose you all can just revel in ignorance and judgmentalism. But life is usually far more complex than many Americans would like to believe, and that's the real fairy tale here: He's a very bad man so we should just let him die in prison and then we all get to live happily ever after, simple. And I'm the one being "gullible" here?

Please tell me that you are using sarcasm by saying you that you believe that after watching “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” you believe Polanski has paid for his crime.

-So he anally raped (not consensual or simply statutory rape) but anally raped a 13 year old, and you believe that his 42 days of psych evaluation and the 30 years of comfort and opulence in France was due punishment. Don't you also know that the video seemingly left out the whole rape thing and just put it as underage sex with a minor or that the film was made by a very biased pro-Polanski group? Honestly, are you some kind of MORON? I feel sorry for your children and anyone who considers you a friend. You obviously have no idea about the legal system, morality, or about a 13 year old girl.

Lets not also forget that the whole issues with the judge are completely irrelevant since the judge is the one who makes the final decision on any plea bargains or summary judgments. The judge did nothing that would infringe on Polanski's rights nor did the court system.

again, 42 days in jail and a luxurious life is "adequately punished".

You are a complete idiot

thanks for your article. The movie, the book "roman by Polanski are very important to see/read. Also the smoking gun docs. Also maybe the atty is lying about lying. just a possibility. Anyway I tend to feel as you do. I think if he gets over here there will be a lynching so to speak.

I agree with you that there were basic violations of his rights and that the judge behaved reprehensibly when a deal had been made. BUT, the most compelling reason for dropping this is that the victim wants it dropped. Why drag her through another trial? She's already stated that if it goes back to trial, she will refuse to testify. Don't put her through this again. Accede to her wishes and drop it. It's over, she's forgiven him.

Thank you for having the cojones to write this. I would like to point out that the main prosecutor Gunson was completely honest in the film. Polanski likened himself to a mouse being cruelly batted about by an abominable cat. Well now really, since that time he did get some sweet deals to get the case dismissed. Who played cat and mouse for the last 30 years? Did he really think he was invincible? Did he have bad legal advice? Sure the victim of the crime is once again being thrown to the wolves of the press, but I think she has has learned to deal with the wolves. Besides, LA political careers are more important than some rape victim. As for Polanski himself, he made his own bed, now he can lie in it.

punished? oh honey puh-leese. if you call 30 years of living in a luxury pentouse in paris, starlets for your choosing, a swiss challet and professional and financial success punishment, then you've drunk the kool aid my friend.

he SODOMIZED a 13 year old girl; he drugged her to make it easier for himself; David Wells from the D.A.'s office admitted he lied in the film and never spoke to polanski; the judge NEVER reneged on any plea agreement (which he had the right to reject - even post agreement - fyi) because polanski never showed up for sentencing.

how was he punished, sweetie? hmmmmm? was his reputation ruined? was he "labeled" a pedophile? some (rational) people might respond by saying THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A 43 YEAR OLD MAN DRUGS, RAPES AND SODOMIZES A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL. YOU MORON!!

Mr. Jones

The documentary was made by a filmmaker with a clear agenda. It's as reliable as a documentary made by Glenn Beck about how President Obama is evil. And again, all of that is irrelevant. This is a man who committed a heinous crime. Be completely honest, would you feel the same way if Roman Polanski was instead a farmer in Arkansas living in poverty? Or what if the exact circumstances occurred, but instead of Polanski, it was a Nazi sympathizer?

You're so adamant about not admitting you might be wrong that you're totally missing the point. We're not talking about how the justice system works, we're talking about your desire to let a sick man be free.

Hmmm. I must have seen a different cut of "Wanted and Desired" than you. I came away with a real sense of ambiguity about the case. Although I have no evidence for it, I think the film's makers originally intended it as an apologia for Polanski, as a plea of forgiveness for what Harvey Weinstein calls the "so-called crime". That's before they encountered and interviewed Polanski's victim - the woman now and the frightened 13-year-old she was three decades ago.

The film covers, extensively, her grand jury testimony, in which she testifies she resisted his advances and asked him to call her mother before he drugged, raped and sodomized her. In 1978, the L.A. prosecutors allowed him to plead to lesser charges to spare her what likely would be a torturous cross-examination. Did you know that?

His crime against a child should be the only issue here; she's the one who was served a penalty, a severe one, for the crimes of being young, fresh and physically beautiful.

Was Polanski treated unfairly by the L.A. Superior Court? Yes. Was his crime heinous and should he be punished for it? Yes. Polanski is a cinematic genius and disgusting pedophile - truly, a renaissance man.

Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13 year old girl. He was allowed to plea to a lesser count of having sex with a 13 year old. Then instead of paying his debt to society he fled. He has lived the high life in Europe and was able to make a fortune in his career. I understand that he is an incredible artist. This does not give him carte blanche to do what he wants. Hollywood likes to portray themselves as caring and the more conservative world as heartless. Yet Hollywood has no problems embracing a child molester. I think their response to this issue shows once and for all that Hollywood is so amoral they no longer have the most basic sense of right and wrong. While they smirk at the rest of the world and pretend to be superior they dig themselves further into the mud.

Or I suppose you all can just revel in ignorance and judgmentalism. (...snip...) And I'm the one being "gullible" here?

Enlighten us, Stephen:

Explain how a wealthy and famous director found himself without the ability to tell his side of the story to either the public or an appeals court judge.

And please explain the circumstances under which fleeing sentencing for a crime you plead guilty to is acceptable and just.

There's plenty of injustice in our United States, but rarely are the rich and famous its victims. Plenty of wrongly-convicted people are in prisons right now, and a writer for the SFBG - of all people - wants me to have sympathy for a famous child rapist who used his money to flee punishment? What?

Mr Steven Jones, what kind of journalism school did you attend to base your opinion on a biased documentary? Weren't you trained to look at the facts instead and use your little brain to draw conclusions? Well, we all know the facts, the sodomy of a 13 yo girl, which you obviously don't seem to mind. What a moron you are! I had never heard of the journal that employs you, but I now know I have no interest in reading it again if that is the kind of articles they opt to publish.

"Mr Steven Jones, what kind of journalism school did you attend to base your opinion on a biased documentary?" - asks "gael yonnet". Well, what did _you_ form your opinion on? The only official document you can base your opinion on is Polanski's plea and we all know the relationship between plea specifics and real life. The bottom line which everyone in here inexplicably ignores is that the victim herself wants Polanski to be freed.

JanPB, are you serious? The only official document is Polaski's plea? Are you not familiar with the victim's testimony, where she graphically details Polanski performing cunnilingus on her, and entering her vaginally and anally, all the while, she's saying "no" and "stop"? It's public record, and you can read it yourself here:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html

Additionally, the victim only began saying she forgives him after Polanski gave her $500,000
(http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJ_B3KmqPe6WISB7p695kumT695A)

By the way, the fact that the victim forgives him is irrelevant. What's relevant is that he raped a 13-year-old girl. This was NOT consensual sex. He even admitted to doing it.

Oh, and here's a direct quote from the guy:
"If I had killed somebody, it wouldn’t have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But… f—ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f— young girls. Juries want to f— young girls. Everyone wants to f— young girls!" Nice.

"OUTRAGED "A youthful error," the French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy, above, said of the director Roman Polanski's crime." Excuse me while I barf! The only youth here was the 13 year old child molested by a dirty old man in his 40's. Yes Whoopi, it WAS Rape Rape! If the California courts do not follow this through they need to be held accountable in the fullest extent. If Polanski was "Mr. Brown from down the block" the skanky ones in Hollywood would be singing a different tune. Also,let's send out child molesters to France. Another problem solved.

I am aware that there was some questionable judicial and DA conduct in Mr. Polanski's case. However, Mr. Polanski is always free to return to the U.S., as he should, and withdraw his plea and exercise his right to a jury trial, if he is going to claim he is innocent or that it was only a "youthful" error (never mind that he was 44-years old at the time).

The problem is that he has admitted to having sex with his victim. And the truth is even more disturbing, according to the victim's own statements, both to police at the time and years later to the media, Mr. Polanski drugged and VICIOUSLY RAPED her when she was a 13-year old girl, as she pleaded with him to stop (not "statutory raped," but contrary to Ms. Whoopi Goldberg, RAPE, RAPED).

Then, after playing legal games for 15-years, he finally agreed to pay his victim $500,000 for her pain and suffering. Unfortunately, Mr. Polanski showed his character hadn't changed much because she had to take him to court two years later because he had REFUSED to actual pay on the settlement he agreed to. I suspect her "forgiveness" of him in 2003 was part of an agreement with Mr. Polanski that she would publicly forgive him if he would FINALLY live up to his civil judgment and pay her. Regardless, her bought "forgiveness" is irrelevant to the criminal action against him.

Mr. Polanski is NOT the victim. He is a rapist. Not a "statutory rapist," but a real, slimy, sick rapist who to this day has taken absolutely ZERO accountability for his crime. He is the sort of creep who would drug a young girl and then viciously rape her. That is who he is, and THAT is the sort of person you are defending. Shame on you!

I am at least glad to see that the Swiss actually believe in following international law and honoring the treaties they are signatories to (I wish the U.S. would follow there example). I hope Mr. Polanski is shipped back to the U.S., and I hope he DOES withdraw his guilty plea, so he can be made to stand trial and finally be convicted by a jury of his peers for his sick act of violence. Then, I would like to see this smug little man sent to prison.

It's sad we live in a misogynistic cult-of-personality society which would rather celebrate an entitled, elitist white male rapist, instead of standing up for victims of exploitation and abuse. But, it is even more tragic, Mr. Jones, that a father of two young girls would make a child-rapist his cause celebre. With a father like you, I truly hope your daughters are safe.

I can't believe what gullable weenies people can be. Softened and deteriated morality can be touched with a small dose of Hollywood slant and forgiveness is requested and expected by the truck load. Let's make a square deal. He admitted to doing it. The victim said it happened and he paid her off. What a sad sick story and even sicker story teller. If the case was mishandled then due process is required to repair it. This article, what else can we expect from this community of perversion.

I don't really get the hostility towards the film--I thought it was brilliant. That being said, I also don't get how watching it leaves you with the feeling that it was biased either way. As some have stated here, Polanski got screwed out of his sweet deal, and perhaps that wasn't fair. But the sentence most certainly did NOT fit the crime to begin with, though it was based on a desire by the victim and her family to end the whole mess.

It would seem to me that Polanski should have to go back to jail for a certain length of time. THe fact that he himself was a victim of a horrible crime some years earlier is no excuse. And if celebrities can get away with crimes simply because their victims fear the horrible exposure and attention, then what does that tell celebrities? I feel for the victim but Polanski needs to do some time. Personally I would say he needs about 24 mos. in a state pen......

Watch the film search your heart? What in the "hell" are you talking about? I don't need to watch a "film".... Anyone can down load a copy of the "Grand Jury" testimony in this case and read what this monster had done...

Polanski will be judged not by your twisted view of reality Mr. Jones nor this slanted "film" as evidence. Rather the testimony and evidence as complied in this case.

I do have serious doubts however to your fitness as a parent. Perhaps family services should visit your home given such statements by you.

After reading the comments reacting to my post, I can't imagine why Polanski believes he would have a hard time getting a fair trial in this country. Clearly, Americans are open-minded and willing to dispassionately consider the totality of the evidence in this case, not just the moralistic and simplistic lynch mob that Polanski and his European supporters fear us to be.

Mr. Jones

Your sarcasm is misplaced. Sure, let the guy get a fair trial, I think we're all in favor of that, but your blog wasn't about that. Your blog was about freeing Roman Polanski. THAT is what we're reacting to. You're the one who doesn't want him to have a trial at all.

WELL I SAY WE GO GET HIM CUT HIS PEE PEE OF AND MAKE A DOCUDRAMA ABOUT WHY YOU DONT DRUG,SODIMIZE, YES HE FUCKED HER ASS,THEN RAPED HER I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE HE PAID FOR ANYTHING SEEING AS HOW HE HAS NOT BEEN RAPED OR SODIMIZED O I HOPE YOU PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF HIS ASS OR JUST LEAVE MY COUNTRY

IN THIS COUNTRY WE ALL HAVE CHOICES. THE IRS SAYS THAT TAXES ARE VOLUNTARY, OKAY IF YOU REFUSE TO PAY TAXES OR UNVOLUNTER THEY COME TO TAKE YOURE HOME. IF YOU DONT CHOOSE TO GIVE THEM YOUR HOUSE THEY THEN CHOOSE TO TAKE IT BY FORCE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DEFEND YOUR HOUSE THEY KILL YOU. STUPID LOGIC HUH. THIS SICKO CHOOSE TO DO THIS IN HIS MIDDLE 40S HE HAS PROBABLY DONE THIS AGAIN, THE ODDS ARE THAT HE HAS. THAT FACTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE. HE DIDNT COMMIT THIS CRIME(CRIMEZZZ) JUST ON HER THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST OUR SOCIETY. WE WANT JUSTICE FOR WHAT HE ALREADY SAID HE DID INSTEAD OF SHOWING THE WORLD THAT MONEY TRUMPS ALL. BASICLY THIS WALKING TUMOR HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH ONE OF THE MOST HORRIBLE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FOR 30. YEARS IM GLAD TO SEE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS PAGE ARNT EASILY FOOLED BY FILMAKERS WHO HAVE THERE OWN TWISTED SENSE OF REALITY, BUT YET THEY SEEK JUSTICE. THERES A LOT OF SPARTAMERICANS IN THIS ROOM. THANK GOD WE WONT LET OUR PRINCIPLES FALL TO THE WAYSIDE WHEN CONFRONTED BY FORIEGNERS, THE MEDIA OR ANYTHING ELSE. LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC AND THANKS YOU GUYS FOR THE LINKS ANYONE WHO WOULD SIDE WITH THIS COWARD AFTER REVIEWING ALL OF THE INFO SHOULD SHARE HIS FATE PS ballif whack his p33p33

The judge was NOT CORRUPT, and he was asked for by MOVIE STUDIO EXECUTIVES, because he was always cooperative with them for getting trials done without disrupting shooting schedules/ high costs of movie making.
The Studio executives ALWAYS TOLD RITTENBAND to be very public, to avoid the appearance of celebrities getting special treatment. The wanted it OUT IN THE OPEN (they also still thought that any publicity was good publicity, back then).
It was POLANSKI that kept making statements/promises and then he would go back on them! Polanski had the agenda of wanting to legalize sex with children, like it was in France. In court Polanski even kept talking of french laws, and the judge had to keep telling him that they did NOT APPLY IN THE USA!
I telephoned the judge and WARNED HIM THAT POLANSKI WAS ALWAYS PUBLICLY BRAGGING ABOUT WHAT TROUBLE HE WOULD CAUSE.
When these things started coming true, Judge RITTENBAND was going to have me arrested!!
One of his court employees had to stop him at the VERY LAST MINUTE AND ADMITTED TO HIM THAT HIS FAMILY/FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS HAD HEARD POLANSKI PUBLICLY SAY THE SAME THINGS THAT I HAD CLAIMED POLANSKI SAID.
Judge Rittenband DEMANDED TO TALK TO THESE FRIENDS/ FAMIlY/NEIGHBORS and when he learned that I was NOT interferring in the trial, and that it WAS Polanski, as I had said, the judge knew Polanski was in need of mental help and asked him to get a 90 day evaluation, to learn why Polanski behaved so badly, when everyone just wanted a simple trial/punishment to get it overwith!
Polanski then PUBLICLY ADMITTED (on his first or second day in the prison/hospital) THAT HE WOULD NOT SPEND THE FULL 90 DAYS IN EVALUATION BECAUSE HE HAD BRIBED THE DOCTORS TO LET HIM OUT IN HALF THE TIME!!
Judge Rittenband truely wanted Polanski to realize that he was his own worst enemy, and was doing self destructive behavior, as NO ONE WAS OUT TO SCREW HIM OVER.
I heard all of this and, after Polanski was out of the prison hospital, I had Polanski investigated for arranging the murders with charles manson, in 1969 ( I witnessed this). Polanski INSISTED on speaking to the CBI PUBLICLY, in front of a news camera. Polanski ADMITTED TO ARRANGING THE MURDERS WITH MANSON, and BRAGGED THAT HE WOULD KILL MORE CELEBRITIES.
Then Celebrities ASKED POLANSKI TO LEAVE HOLLYWOOD, as they did NOT WANT TO BE HIS NEXT VICTIMS.
I probable saved dozens of their celebrity lives, by exposing Polanski as a mass murderer. Now they ALL SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS!

poor polanski...everybody wants your head on a plate...meanwhile,
in certain 3rd world countries they marry 13 year olds to old men without asking them and nobody says anything...
u made a mistake once and u have to pay again and again...

We can charge with crime for "raping" mind of girls,destroying moral values all creators "Sex and the city" propagation all american women as predators
with open legs for any passer by, ugly and vulgar.

If anyone of you, pathetic americans, remember today the NYC Central Park rape legal case?
The group of teens was wrongly accused and spent decade in jail... Innocent people !!!

If anyone of you "liberal and feminists" has any remorses from judical mistakes? Never! You are deprived of moral values. Because no one of you are able to raise a question : " Do I know what really happen in that adult hollywoodian soiree? Do I know enough to make any judgmen about that incident? Was it unvoluntary sex and simple extortion of money case by mother and dauther?" You listened something from someone...
You do not use to reflect. You use to act,
agressively, overloded with malignancy...
Shame on you...

As a Polish-American I am offended and ashamed of this Country. I am the same age as his alleged victim! She (the victim) wants the charges dropped. Therefore, that should be the end of the story. Roman Polanski has suffered enough - he is 77 years old. He lost his parents during the Holocust and the most beautiful woman in the world - his wife by that crazy Charles Manson. How much does one person have to suffer. His alleged victim is not innocent in all this, she admitted later on to doing Qualudes and having sex with other boys. Besides, the girls parents knew she was with him. The photos he took of her do not show nudity (not even close to what we see today) Give me a break! This is because a self-important judge felt he would look bad and he wants to make an example out of Roman Polanski. Roman Polanski has undergone numerous psychological tests and they all come up with the same conclusion - he is not a sex offender. Leave this brilliant yet tragic person alone. Enough time has gone by. Is it really necessary? How many truly vindictive child rapists are out there - go get them. Leave this old man alone. He is not a pervert. People get your facts straight. Do not judge others unless you wish to be judged yourself. Put yourself in this mans shoes.

Before everyone screams at me..... How many hollywood people TODAY get special treatment because of who they are. 15 mins in Jail, probation for drunk driving, etc etc.

Also, remember this was 1977 in California. Do any of you live in California? I have and know the moral compass is slightly off than the rest of the Country.

How many Hollywood people have sex parties at their home today where there are underage children? They serve alcohol and drugs to minors every day. Some even have sex but its kept quiet. They don't go to jail.

Just talk to Drew Barrymore about her alcoholic life at 8 yrs old !

Yes, all these issues (including Roman Polanski) are the same - Special Treatment for Hollywood People.

Also remember Roman Polanski comes from a Country that has a different set of moral values. Giving alcohol to a minor is considered normal, so is sex if you are a teenager.