Roman Polanski's Lawyer Submits New, Large Cash Bail Offer

PARIS — A French lawyer for Roman Polanski says he has submitted a new bail offer to a Swiss court to try to free the filmmaker from jail.

Lawyer Herve Temime says the offer Monday includes "adequate guarantees" that Polanski will not flee justice if released. The 76-year-old director is awaiting a decision on extradition to the United States.

Switzerland's Justice Ministry rejected a bail offer Friday, considering Polanski a high flight risk. They noted it was not a cash offer.

Temime said Sunday the new offer would include a "very, very significant" cash amount, but on Monday, he gave no further details.

Polanski, arrested Sept. 26, is wanted in the U.S. for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski fled the U.S. before sentencing.

Comments

[Shadow]

question??­??????????­??

[ThomasinFrance]

Keep him in, judge him, and let life go on. Enough time and spit have beren wasted on him already, he is human, let him be subject to human justice, period. No free pass.

[The Ogre]

He will run.

[Caru]

Pathetic.

[sophocles jr]

the whole point of the issue: which no one -- pro or con -- seems to mention: is the constitutional issue of "indefinite confinement for evaluation"

the argument over the plea agreement is not the issue: yes, the judge can override a plea agreement:

but, in this case: after polanski had been released with a positive psychological recommendation after 46-day psychological evaluation confinement: the judge told the defense and prosecutors that he was getting pressure from the media, and would send the defendant back into confinement for further evaluation -- until the complete 90-day evaluation period was served: after which: the defendant would be required to submit to "voluntary deportation"

if the defendant refused: the judge threatened to keep the defendant in "indefinite confinement for evalution" -- until the defendant agreed to deportation

thus, the defendant cannot appeal: because no sentence was passed; and, even if the evaluation was eventually terminated by a higher judicial authority: the judge threatened to sentence the defendant to up to 50-years. so, the defendant fled the jurisdiction

both sides are getting wound up over the pros and cons of this particular defendant's crimes, predilictions, character, history, professional legacy, etc. -- but, the issue is purely about whether justice is served by a situation where the defendant has already been released after positive psychological evaluation: and must re-submit indefinitely: essentially blackmailed to leave the country, or face 50 years in jail; this isn't the same as some hypothetical defendant failing to appear

yours truly,
sophocles_jr

[YankinCanada]

Oh! well then, let's forget about him s0d1mizing a 13yr old. He was unjustly treated for unjustly drgging and r_ping a child.

It's all good, right?

[jdrourke]

Can we please drag this out a little longer...?­!

http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/seriously-switzerland/

[middleoftheroad]

You are gonna get raped in prison Roman...ha­hahahahaha

[leeclayton]

I doubt that many inmates would find a 76-year-old man as arousing as you do.

[The Ogre]

Arousal has nothing to do with it in that situation.

[PWM]

I doubt he would go to anything but one of those low security prisons.

[deezus]

They should charge him with bribery!

[PatA]

He needs to learn that "money can't buy c r a p".

[winningticket]

Roman Polanski accepted a plea deal back in the seventies and the justice system reneged on it helping to contribute to Polanski's flight. Nobody seems to comment on that. While Polanski's actions were indeed criminal, I just want to know what kind of parents would allow their young daughter to spend the night with a grown man? The victim wants to move on, yet Americans just want their pound of flesh.

[Eris23]

So I herd you liek Mudkipz?

[LLisaLL]

Your depiction of the events is inaccurate. The judge has the final say in any plea deal and no one found out what the judge was going to decide because...­.wait for it....Pola­nski bolted! What Americans seem to want to is for the the course of justice to be completed. In this case that means returning a fugitive to face sentencing.

[Eris23]

Philistine!

[ahoyhoy]

Thank you! Well said.

Also, I read the account of that evening, the testimony of the girl's mother, and she was under the impression that this was for Vogue. Polanski told her that if she came with them on the photo shoot, that the girl couldn't "pose naturally.­" The mother was tricked by Polanski. Lots of mothers have gotten tricked by predators. She was concerned, he talked her out of it.

[ThomasinFrance]

Even if the parents agree, validate, push, insist, influence, talk their kid into doing that, is it still ok that it happens? That all the Roman Polanskis of this world get what they want? Tst tst to all parents who let their children come back home from sports during at night time and get kidnapped?
Come on.

This is not about revenge at all, it is about justice. A crime was committed, it must be judged and sentenced.

[PWM]

Wrong. The plea bargain was brought before the judge, who can accept, reject, or offer a modification. The judge intended to add jail time to the bargain and Polanski bolted rather than face a maximum of 4 years in jail.

[TheFabOne]

You know, this is interestin­g.........­normally, bail is set by the JUDGE, NOT the CONVICT...­.......

[gawd]

Oh no, he is not a flight risk. *rolleyes*

[godzthor1]

I say, let the Swiss demand a huge cash bail, accept payment, and have American authorities standing right there with handcuffs ready when Polanski gets released. I'll even chip in for a case of AstroGlide and Baby Wipes for ol' Roman. Just to help him adjust.

[mugwamp]

I'm guessing they're keeping him there until the US decides he's served an appropriate sentence for his original crime.

[AfroLatina21]

Nope...

He's fighting extradition so that's why he's still in jail. If he weren't fighting it he would've already been extradited back to the U.S. So it's his fault that he's still sitting in jail over there.

[MiHi]

This lawyer. He just doesn't comprehend squat, does he? His client is the world's most notorious bail-jumper. No judge in their right mind is going to risk their career setting this pervo free and watching him slip away from Justice again. IAnd one could imagine the political HellStorm that would ensue.