Polanski -- I'm Confused

Given Roman Polanski's history as a persecuted Jew during the Holocaust, I can understand his panicking, skipping bail and fleeing the United States. What I don't understand is why, once he got his wits about him, he didn't return and face the music. How could he live with himself? And the world with him?

 

 

Comments

[Tallulah Morehead]

01:45 AM on 09/29/2009

"How could he live with himself?"

Ah, well he forgave himself, and decided to show himself leniency. But to show penance, he marred a beautiful woman and lived in luxury in Paris. 40 years of living amongst the French? Surely he's suffered enough.

After all, he only drugged and raped a child. Forget it, Jake, it's Paristown.

[Algrokos]

12:46 AM on 09/29/2009

I am a bit torn on this one. Certainly Polanski was being treated unfairly strictly speaking of what happened in the courtroom. The prosecutio­n and defense agreed to a plea deal that would release Polanski for time served (just over a month). The judge unilateral­ly decided to increase the sentence and mandate that Polanski be deported afterwards­. That is not how the system should work. On the other hand, spending barely more than a month in jail for having sex with a 13 year old? That is not justice served. At this point, I would have thought the US would just be satisfied to keep Polanski out of the country. Even though what he did was disgusting and inexcusibl­e, why are we going after him after more than 30 years?

[S1m0n]

08:47 AM on 09/29/2009

Plea bargains with sentences like this get made because the prosecutio­n thinks that the defendant has a high chance of being acquitted if they fight the charge, so getting a plea with a short sentence is better than nothing. This is usually because of some weakness in the evidence.

[helipilot]

07:13 PM on 09/29/2009

I agree. If he stays in self-impos­ed exile, it's as good as a life sentence in prison as far as I'm concerned, and as a taxpaying citizen, he's not being a burden on me or the State of California­. California is broke and Gov. Schwarzene­gger is looking for ways of releasing thousands of non-violen­t offenders from state prisons to save money. We don't need the added baggage of Polanski.

In times past, some societies that abhorred execution would instead exile transgress­ors. That works for me in this case.

[Floot]

07:50 PM on 10/06/2009

How is that "as good as a life sentence"?­?! He is living in France, you know, not prison... there's quite a difference­.

[lanrameau]

12:37 AM on 09/29/2009

Read the story: http://www­.nytimes.c­om/2009/09­/28/movies­/28polansk­i.html?_r=­1&scp=2&sq­=polanski&­st=cse

He served 6 weeks in prison and the judge may have wanted to have him serve more. He indeed knows what Nazis look like.

[Tallulah Morehead]

01:41 AM on 09/29/2009

Well OF COURSE "the judge may have wanted to have him serve more" 6 weeks is not an adequate sentence for drugging and raping a child.

[nee]

02:06 AM on 09/29/2009

And don't forget he also sodomized her Tallulah.

[Avishai]

04:27 AM on 09/29/2009

Judges are not bound by plea agreements­, DA's are. It's the judges discretion whether to apply it. He usually does, but sometimes he rejects it. So,in that the judge did nothing wrong

[S1m0n]

09:28 AM on 09/29/2009

Perhaps not, but it's also why Polanski would feel like he got tricked out of defending himself on the charge.