Roman Polanski was arrested yesterday on a rape conviction that is decades old. Should he be treated differently than if it was recent?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$14 Answers
He pled guilty to unlawful sex, that is already settled. However, there were irregularities in the trial that seem likely to cause it to be overturned on appeal.
Time passes, and it does make a difference. Jail sentences are intended to protect the community and to rehabilitate the offender. In this case, decades later, we can see with 20-20 hindsight that the community needed no further protection and the offender needed no further rehabilitation. No point would be served by a jail sentence.
We specifically also know:
"Polanski has asked a U.S. appeals court in California to overturn a judges' refusal to throw out his case. He claims misconduct by the now-deceased judge who had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it.
His victim, Samantha Geimer, who long ago identified herself publicly, has joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal, saying she wants the case to be over. She sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement.
Earlier this year, Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza in Los Angeles dismissed Polanski's bid to throw out the case because the director failed to appear in court but said there was "substantial misconduct" in the handling of the original case." Associated Press article
So we even know that the victim of the unlawful seduction has been compensated by a civil settlement and has long forgiven him.
France and Poland (he is a dual citizen of both countries) have protested the arrest.
What we don't know is why, in 2005, the US Marshals dug up this case, decades old even then, and started pursuing it. One can only suspect that the Bush administration was trying to score points with the social conservatives. Now our current administration finds itself with a completely unecessary diplomatic row when it already has a full plate of vastly more serious matters.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
As presented in Saolon.com:
Roman Polanski raped a child. Let's just start right there, because that's the detail that tends to get neglected when we start discussing whether it was fair for the bail-jumping director to be arrested at age 76, after 32 years in "exile" (which in this case means owning multiple homes in Europe, continuing to work as a director, marrying and fathering two children, even winning an Oscar, but never -- poor baby -- being able to return to the U.S.). Let's keep in mind that Roman Polanski gave a 13-year-old girl a Quaalude and champagne, then raped her, before we start discussing whether the victim looked older than her 13 years, or that she now says she'd rather not see him prosecuted because she can't stand the media attention. Before we discuss how awesome his movies are or what the now-deceased judge did wrong at his trial, let's take a moment to recall that according to the victim's grand jury testimony, Roman Polanski instructed her to get into a jacuzzi naked, refused to take her home when she begged to go, began kissing her even though she said no and asked him to stop; performed cunnilingus on her as she said no and asked him to stop; put his penis in her vagina as she said no and asked him to stop; asked if he could penetrate her anally, to which she replied, "No," then went ahead and did it anyway, until he had an orgasm.
This is the guy you people want to give a pass? Put your daughter in this spot..........
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Assuming he really is found guilty, then he deserves a form of punishment, in my eyes, that the Geneva Convention would not approve of. If he really did commit the crime, then he is guilty of a crime that was so damaging and painful to one young girl, that it's stayed with her every day of her life for all these years. And to make matters worse, since he decided to live above the law (because he has money!), she's had to live all these years knowing that he was still OUT THERE. Can you imagine the terror?
No, he deserves a higher punishment. Something that makes him regret every single day he made her suffer.
That's my view, at least!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$Rape victims live with what they've done to them their entire lives, and he's only been very lucky to get this much 'freedom'.
No, the crime stands, so should the punishment.
I agree with Twinpairs in that the victim has a say at this point in where things falls for him though.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$Bonnie Mizdol, Bergen County, NJ Superior Court Judge
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
The victim is over 40 with a family and doesn't wish to keep reliving the issue. She wants the charges dropped. I'd say to just let it go. That's what everyone involved wants.
Didn't realize til I read the article that he was married to Sharon Tate, the woman murdered by the Mansons. The guy sure has had a crazy life...
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Having said this if the victim wants to get on with their life and put this behind them then perhaps it should just be left as an unfortunate part of history.
I definitely think though that if the victim wants to prosecute then they should have the full support of the law.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
If found guilty, I do think how he has conducted his life in the intervening years should play a part in the sentencing. Also the fact that Mrs. Geimer does not want to go through the trial and receive more publicity could play a role in a plea agreement with the District Attorney.
In short, if he choose to do the crime, he should do the time. His choice!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
In this case he pled guilty, but fled before being sentenced. If he had stayed around and dealt with it, it would have long been over. He should receive the sentence he would have received in 1977, which CNN reports was an additional 48 days in prison. Let him serve the time and be doe with it.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
