Polanski Might Not Fight Extradition
by John Nolte
Out of options?
Considering the shocking ineptitude and counterintuitive moves by the White House lately, I was starting to wonder if they might add to their woes, cave to their Leftist Hollywood friends and quietly let the deadline pass to request Roman Polanski’s extradition — effectively letting him off the hook. Thankfully, word comes today that the U.S. has made a formal request to the Swiss to hand the child-rapist over. Better yet, Polanski’s lawyers are floating the idea that Polanski is considering a voluntary surrender to U.S. authorities:
Polanski’s legal team has sent out mixed messages on its strategy. Temime has insisted the Oscar-winning director will fight extradition. But earlier this week, Georges Kiejman, another of Polanski’s lawyers, told French radio that, instead of spending years in a Swiss jail, Polanski might voluntarily decide to face justice in the U.S.
The 76 year old child-rapist is pretty much out of options. The court battle over extradition could take years, and with no hope of bail that means those years would be spent in prison. If he then loses that fight he’ll still have to face whatever penalty awaits him here in the States. At his age, there aren’t many years to waste. Taking his chances here is probably the wise move.
The real question now is how Leftist Hollywood will react to the Obama Administration not taking their marching orders. My guess is that after the harsh blow-back to their free-Polanski campaign, they just want the story to go away.
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88 Comments
the new stance will be "Polanski, Yeah I think I've heard his name somewhere." I can't see them coming out for him again. But then again the smarter ones would have stayed quiet the first time.
Obama and his "administration" are clueless. I'm very surprised they requested the extradition. Very surprised. But I guess after being b*tch slapped yesterday by the press……they realized that maybe not everyone thinks they're made of candy and unicorns.
had Polanski done this to my daughter, extradition would not be a question today.
http://noliberalspin.blogtownhall.com/
The Anti Liberal Zone
I'm not sure why he won't come back. I don't think the prosecution is out for revenge or anything. They probably just want to get this high-profile case off their books once and for all. It would be risky to say this will be just a paper transaction – a mere formality. However, I imagine the the lawyers will work out some sort of deal to make sure Polanski fulfills his legal obligations BUT doesn't die in a California prison. The important thing is that he comes back completes the legal process he ducked out on thirty years ago.
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We have arrived at a time in politics and culture where Harvey Weinstein and friends' excuses for Polanski wont fly. People are informed and wont buy into sympathy for Polanski. And it would be political suicide for Obama if he were to in any way help Polanski avoid extradition.
hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahaha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
start baking cookies whoopi to take to your buddy,make them thin though so they'll slide under the cell door.
This picture is getting better. Let's stay for the ending.
BP…the smarter ones did stay quiet…we only heard from the desperately stupid.
You can't win them all. Looks like Roman's luck has finally run out. I wonder if he ever ponders how lucky he was not to be home the night Charlie Manson came knocking. If he was home that night, we wouldn't be discussing this now.
The smart move is to come back. He will probably be able to arrange some sort of reduced sentence or even bail in California if he submits to monitoring. I do not think he deserves any special treatment but he will probably get it just the same. He will still be the Celebrity cause dejour and the Prosocuter won't want to be seen as vindictive but just out for justice, he is elected. What pressures are brought behind closed doors are anyones guess. Either way it now seems this case will finally be settled finally. The outcome is stll a big Question Mark.
But Whoopi and friends would be sad, even if it was a mercy termination, they would cry Justice, they would say we are a nation of laws(it's all okay til it happens to you, kith or kin). But with lawyers involved he might get house arrest at the Weinstein ranch, or at a 4 star resort, then again he was in France, thus time served.
No matter how the libs in Hollywood bleat, there is a line that won't be crossed. Personally I do not know what Swiss prisons are like, but it seems Mr. Polanski prefers imprisonment here in the USA over Switzerland. One can only wonder why….
Polanski was done in by his own hubris and grandiose ego, just what was he thinking when he stepped foot in Switzerland which had an extradition treaty with us? Probably that with the Obama regime change he was safer. He played chicken and he lost.
And, I wouldn't assign any kudos to Obama's State Deptartment for nailing him. It was probably more likely a low level employee that acted without thinking out that it would offend Obama's Hollywood donors.
I'll believe he's been extradited when the plane lands on US soil.
Is it stupid or lame? I forget which.
Right, that's it, both.
Maybe it's all that cheese they make him eat – probably makes him constipated.
I hope you're right, and reality is starting to sink in. But I'm guessing its going to take a real drubbing at the polls before it really hits home.
Ditto. I'd have flown over to Europe and dragged him back to justice by his balls.
If he is extradited, it will be interesting to see how the court case plays out. Los Angeles County is notorious for empaneling star-struck juries that go easy on celebs, but with the charge involved, the testimony available and the fact the Polanski is more of a behind-the-scenes celeb than someone even on the Robert Blake level means jurors might not be as blinded by a short 76-year-old man whom if they've seen at all, was just a few moments of him slicing Jack Nicholson's nose in "Chinatown".
Simple, he's a wuss. He's been protected from the harsh reality of adult life by a cocoon of celebrity.
And that stopped working when he was arrested.
Correct, Obama butting in offers him very little gain, while the dangers to his credibility is far too great.
There's plenty of room under the bus for Polanski.
Harvey Weinstein would definitely seem to be both.
Can he come back to the US on his own, now that he's already in custody? I mean, the Swiss aren't just going to accept his word that he's going home to pack a few things and then head for the air port.
He may be able to officially not fight extradition, but he's still in custody, and he's going to stay there till the federal marshals pick him up and escort him back to LA.
I have no idea what they're like either, but I bet they're very precise.
Well, I seriously doubt they get cable TV
I don't think the state dept. has much to do with it, the LA prosecutor is driving this, there's no way the state dept. is going to get into a scrap with that office.
Can you imagine the blow back if that hit the press, Clinton's pack refused to officially contact the Swiss?
When it comes to politics, a person is only worth what they can deliver for the next election. Polanski's ability to write checks and campaign have been greatly diminished.
In other words, 'what else have you done lately?'
On the other hand, I seriously doubt he's locked up with any Crips, MS13s or Aryan Brotherhood members over in Switzerland. I always figured Swiss jail was sort of like a big, chocolate castle…
I would think that since we have an extradition treaty with Switzerland, it shouldn't take a lot of high-level processing on our end. The Swiss don't seem to be making a political stink about it – as, for example, the French probably would. On their end, so far, it seems to be just a legal issue.
There will be no jury. Polanski has already been convicted. He is an absconder who failed to report to his sentencing.
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And you just know that has to piss off Judges.
Considering it's Europe, there's probably a good chance of a high percentage of angry muslim youth and neo-Nazis, neither of which Polanski probably wants to spend much time around.
Exactly who are all these Hollywood leftists who want Polanski freed. Woody Allen, Whoopi Goldberg and Weinstein? What about Tom Hanks, Steven Speilberg, The Coen Brothers, Tarantino etc. I don't see them running to Polanski's defence. This is all about demonizing Hollywood because they tend to be left and vote democrat.
Polanski directed Pirates. That fact alone should get him a lengthy prison term.
Last time I checked, Weinstein was a pretty big player in Hollywood. Not exactly on the fringe. The list of Polanski supporters was much bigger than the one you mentioned above, and included many international (non-Hollywood) industry figures as well.
Alot of people are of the false impression that we (the US law enforcement) went after Mr Polanski.
The truth of the matter is, Switzerland notified American authorities that one Roman Polanski was scheduled to be in Zurich on such and such a date, and would you like for us to nab him for his outstanding US arrest warrant.
Not wanting to look like complete fools and idiots, we didn't leave that decision up to the Whoopi Goldbergs and Harvey Weinsteins of the world to decide. Thank God.
Surprised by the extradition demand? I don't know. Can the President pardon someone when they are locked up in another country? Because I think the pardon is what is coming next. Then while Polanski is here they can hold the victory party that turns into an Obama fund-raiser.
Pardoning Polanski would be the ultimate in bad judgment. I don't believe Obama would do something so stupid. Well, on second thought.
Polanski was not convicted as a (child) rapist, but pleded to statutory rape. He was charged with other criminal acts, but not convicted. BTW I am not defending him, just need to get the facts clear. This site is suppose to be about the facts, just doing my part in ensuring that.
Obama may be in for trouble. I've heard the Weinsteins are not to be crossed
^This^
You DO realize that there's very little chance he's going to actually serve any U.S. jail time, right? I hate to break it to you, but if you've got a hard-on to watch the courts play out your adolescent vengeance fantasies it probably ain't gonna happen. You're not going to see the guy brutalized in prison, or shot on the courthouse steps by some wannabe Bickel, you probably won't even get to whip rotten veggies at him.
It takes a good long time to extradite someone, so he's probably going to cool his heels in Switzerland for that same good long time, after which he's more likely than not to get a stern dressing-down and a "time-served" (i.e he's been in a Swiss and/or American jail for months) from the judge. All the LA County DA really wants out of this is some news footage of Polanski getting off the plane in cuffs so they can say "See? We eventually got him! We're sooooo not as incompetent and corrupt as we looked in that documentary!"
Has anyone really SEEN the extradition request? Is there any chance it was not properly done, can be blamed on an underling, and would result in Polanski's freedom if not corrected in the near future? Not to suggest that ANYONE associated with the Osama Administration or the Department of Justice could even possibly CONSIDER anything like that. I'm SURE it will be a totally innocent mistake.
I don't think you have to worry, I'm fairly sure he's pretty much coming back to the US.
The left has already stepped in it by sticking up for a child predator who skipped bail for 30 years. If he did it again, they wouldn't risk the loss of credibility they've already lost, and no longer have.
The only thing Polanski has in his side is lefty artist types, and I don't think they'd stick with him if he fled again.
Still…he'll in effect probably serve more time than the length of the ridiculously light sentence he was given 30 years ago and skipped out on, and there's some comfort in that, not to mention that prison for a 76 year old man _must_ be more wretched than for a 30 year old one. And the world has gotten a great reminder of what he did, so perhaps future actors/producers might more carefully weigh working with him in the future. If the only revenge on him to be gotten is icy cold, I'll still take it.
Polanski was never tried, but cut a plea deal with the DA. Star power? Or just a very weak case? The details that have come out do not make the case seem weak. But then, a California DA would NEVER cut a deal with a Hollywood high roller.
He plead to a lessor charge in return for a lessor sentence and then skipped out on the deal. All deals are off and he should be tried on all charges
Simple. Since he fled sentencing 30 years ago, all previous bargains will most likely be invalidated. Ergo, he's going to be facing the full gambit of charges, and adding on flight from prosecution to his list of crimes.
His potential time behind bars has exponentially gone up.
The extradition request is straight fromthe whitehouse. They need a Sasha and Malia Czar.
True – if they follow the letter of the law. I'll believe it when I see it…
Gotta agree. Seriously – he's a little old man, (a rich, famous little old man with powerful friends in California) and I don't think the state's going to risk making itself look like the relentless persecutor of a little old man. Vile as his actions were, a little perspective and a sense of how our legal system really works will tell you they're probably going to go easy on him. If he were a former Nazi concentration camp guard or a serial killer, maybe he'd be allowed to die in prison. As it is, I don't think he's got much to worry about.
I'll be the first to rejoice, however, if my prediction is proven wrong.
Talk about a silver lining to a dark cloud. The Depression cost me my job last year and I've tried to look for something good out of it but it hasn't been easy. But you know, I've just found it. The only reason this convicted child molester is in jail in Switzerland is because Hollywood's 'cushion' has gone. You know, those big lunches, air conditioned limos, private planes, huge bonuses, that always cushioned Hollywood against a nobody like me getting pissed off because they gave an Oscar to a child molester. But now that cushion's gone and – damn, defending a child molester just isn't as much fun as it used to be. Interesting what a shrunken bank account can do to open your eyes. Who knew I'd be thanking a Depression? You never know.
No, I'm not saying he has to "flee." I'm saying that if the extradition request was "accidentally" done incorrectly, Switzerland won't extradite him and will release him. But then it's IMPOSSIBLE that the people responsible for filing the extradition request might "accidentally" do something wrong that would invalidate it and that might not be caught until it's too late to refile. Not that I don't trust this Administration or anything like that…
It's very curious about France, harboring fugitives Ira Einhorn (the Unicorn Killer) and Roman Polanski (child rapist) for years and years. What kind of society would allow people like this to walk the streets?
He'll never get a job in that town again. Obama, not Polanski.
Yep, definitely "Roman who?" LOL.
Cowards are always so predictable.
Yeah Ed – the LEFT held a get-together and came to a vote that their official position is that the Left endorses child predators. The Lefties that I have respect for support law and order and the US Constitution and they outnumber the Whoopies by a large margin. People on the Right may say that Glenn Beck and other lunatics on the airwaves speak for them, but the high profile Lefty nuts don't speak for Democrats. It seems like there's a big effort to sway the public impression that Democrats need to be voted out because they condone child rape. Just how low is this going to go?
How is the Obama administration 'clueless' for requesting and extradition and when did the bitch slap by the press take place?
He plead guilty so he is guilty. He can't take that back. By fleeing he killed the deal so the judge is free to sentence him however he feels justice is served. If I were the judge I'd give him the maximum followed by 5 years probation. If I were the DA I'd forget about the original crimes and try him for the flight to avoid punishment offense. I'd start with the most draconian charge and plead it down to a lesser offense and insist on serving 3 more years after his first sentence is completed.
He plead guilty so he is guilty. He can't take that back. By fleeing he killed the deal so the judge is free to sentence him however he feels justice is served. If I were the judge I'd give him the maximum followed by 5 years probation. If I were the DA I'd forget about the original crimes and try him for the flight to avoid punishment offense. I'd start with the most draconian charge and plead it down to a lesser offense and insist on serving 3 more years after his first sentence is completed.
"The bitch slap" that you are referencing pertains to a face to face interview with the pay czar Kenneth Feinberg was to have with the White House pool of reporters. The White House demanded that FOX news be excluded from said interview, however the remaining White House press pool declined to go forth with the White House demand if FOX was excluded. As a result the White House backed down and acquiesed to the media and let FOX participate in an individual face to face interview. I think that is the "bitch slap," that teh_Mob was referring to.
Weinstein's big and he's a jerk for supporting Polanski but that's about it. Who cares what Debra Winger says. It's all about putting the democrats, and by extension Obama, in a bad light. That's the only real goal of anything on this site.
Tessio: "It's an Italian saying that means Polanski slumber parties with the Clinton fundraisers."
Ouch! When one thinks about how even many of the lowest of the low despise pedophiles…. Polanski could be in for some rough treatment in an American prison.
When the White House tried to deny FOX News, access to a one-on-one interview with Kenneth Feinberg the pay czar. The other White House press members would not participate unless FOX was included, and the White House acquiesed to include FOX. I think that's what was teh_Mob was alluding to.
The only thing I really care about is whether my money as a taxpayer is used to further fan this farce. I could care less whatever else he did, as disgusting as it may be, because it is a waste of my time and money as a tax payer, just as it was to go after Michael Jackson without even proving he was a child molester. Why not use that money to go after prosecuting real threats to children, like that Phil Garrido character? I feel more fear from that creep than from Polanski.
Addendum to my earlier post - Not to keep harping on it, but a minor "reality check" is probably in order for those who're hoping to see the guy publically flayed: Even if the LA DA gets him back, the original charge (and guilty plea) was unlawful sex with a minor – not rape, not statutory, etc. So far as I'm aware, the MAXIMUM sentence he gets for that in California is "only" two years; with good behavior and copious legal challenges he could be out in six months or so.
Now, there IS also the matter of jumping bail, but actually pursuing that as an additional or even seperate charge opens the DA's office to a really big question they REALLY don't want to answer: "If he's actually a menace, and you're so concerned about his flight from bail, why did you wait THIRTY YEARS to do anything about it; especially since he's kept a HOUSE in extradition-ready Switzerland for years and you could concievably have grabbed him dozens of times?" Having to admit that this whole thing is largely motivated as a publicity-stunt for an embattled DA's office ain't gonna help what case they have.
Maat's got the answer for this one…a Polish Jew/Holocaust survivor probably would not be at his best in that situation.
*MissQuinn*
The Coen Brothers signed that petition. I'm demonizing them because many actually wanted to look the other way on the rape of a 13 y/o kid.
*MissQuinn*
Exactly how many Hollywood leftists are allowed to want Polanksi freed before we are allowed to get upset? I have a number and that number is ZERO.
How many professional athletes support Polanski?
How many airline pilots?
How many gardeners?
How many ice cream truck drivers?
ZERO, ZERO, ZERO and ZERO.
The problem is not that too many Hollywood leftists support Polanksi. The problem is that the number of Hollywood leftists support supporting Polanksi is greater than zero.
MovieBob the red herring master strikes again!
The point is not whether Polanski serves time in an American jail versus a Swiss jail. The point is that there is no statute of limitations for raping a teenage girl and fleeing the country (even if you make really, really good movies).
No red herring, Ken. I'm being mostly serious here.
My "read" of the situation is that A.) a great deal of the sudden "outrage" here and elsewhere is driven less by devotion to legalism and more by a lust for Olde Testament vengeance (and, to a lesser but by no means invisible extent, political point-scoring); and B.) when all is said and done the "justice" to be served is rather likely to be a show trial and a lenient sentence (even the MAXIMUM would only be two years in California) in the vein of time-served or even just probabtion.
I'd seriously like to know how – if at all – "A" reconciles with "B." If this really is all about nothing else than checking "sentence Polanski" off of the LA County DA's to-do list so that "we" can "prove the rich can't get away with anything they want!!!", then the judge banging the gavel and going "time served!" should be the end of all the sound and fury, yes?
Blowback on Hollywood's support of the child rapist? I have just one word — Whoopi
After all, it wasn't rape-rape, was it?
yes, that was it spinalcracker…thanks. As for ddaichrio…if you don't know why this administration is clueless…well nothing I say will convince you anyway, so why bother? I didn't say they were clueless for requesting the extradition, I said they were clueless and I was SURPRISED they had requested it. They are clueless about the mood of the American People, they are clueless about the fact that they are no longer on the campaign trail and they are clueless about how to govern. But like I said, you've been drinking the yummy punch…so nothing I say will get me anywhere.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/wh-wer...
Who will show up at his hearing to offer support?
neither I nor anyone else said that the networks stood up for FOX only that they stood up for freedom of the press. After all the bull that's been pulled by this whitehouse…sorry you can show me all the spin you want.. I have heard with my own ears Dunn, Emanuel, Axelrod, Gibbs, and Obama all say that FOX isn't a real news outlet, that they see them as an opponent…so you can keep your links I choose to believe what those people say themselves than what someone writes on the internet. Thanks anyways.
Well according to the list below
http://thekrays.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/free-rom...
one of the Coen Brothers signed it and shame on him. I've never heard of 95% of the rest of them. I suspect most are from Europe, not Hollywood.
I'll say it again, Nolte only brings this up in an attempt to demonize the Hollywood community because they back Barak Obama.
You can be upset with the members of the Hollywood community who want him freed but they are a small minority.
And maybe lots of people think he should be freed. Maybe its the same percentage as the Hollywood community you just don't hear about it because they don't have a voice.
And you don't have to be a leftist to support him. You could be conservative and have the "she asked for it and where was her mother?" mindset. You know, blame the victim.
Pretty much anything is possible, but I just get the feeling there's not going to be any surprises until he's in custody and safely in LA.
The left tried their "oh, it's not that bad" shtick and it pretty much fell flat. I'd say a majority of the left broke with the lunatics and called Polanski out on it. And those that did, I respect for their standing for law and order and what's right. I was happily surprised by that.
It's about damn time those on the left stood up and said "enough!"
What's he gonna do? Support the Republicans?
You can be upset with the members of the Hollywood community who want him freed but they are a small minority.
We are.
And maybe lots of people think he should be freed. Maybe its the same percentage as the Hollywood community you just don't hear about it because they don't have a voice.
And you don't have to be a leftist to support him. You could be conservative and have the "she asked for it and where was her mother?" mindset. You know, blame the victim.
When you find one of those non-Hollywood people, be sure to let us know.
A) Sometimes vengeance and legalism coincide.
B) Some justice is better than him living a life of luxury in Europe.
C) Once Polanski is sentenced by an LA County judge, I think this will be the end of the issue.
You should be upset, just try and comprehend that it's a small minority. Try and get that through your cement skull instead of looking for any possiable way to discredit Obama.
Like I said, they don't have a voice. Hey what about all those libs in the music community. I don't see Michael Stipes or Bruce Springsteen running to his defense.
I never said it wasn't a small minority. I never tried to associate the issue with Obama. Despite that, you chose to be immature and insult me for things I did not do.
As for the music industry, no one is running to his defense and no one is criticizing the music industry.
At this point, you are just a mean person who isn't making a point. So, I am done here.
Well I apologize for the insult. I hope you get as upset at all the name calling the right does. Doesn't Glen Beck have a book called how to talk to idiots or something to that effect.
I meant that you seem to agree with Nolte who is trying to discredit all of Hollywood because a handful of people want Polanski freed. The amount of people doesn't jusitify the level of rage.
Yes, there is room for Polanski but under the bus is already crowded.
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