Roman Polanski: “I Can Remain Silent No Longer”
An extensive whine translated into several languages:
It is true: 33 years ago I pleaded guilty, and I served time at the prison for common law crimes at Chino, not in a VIP prison. That period was to have covered the totality of my sentence. By the time I left prison, the judge had changed his mind and claimed that the time served at Chino did not fulfil the entire sentence, and it is this reversal that justified my leaving the United States.
No, it didn’t.
It is important to note a few points, based on a reading of the publicly available documents in the case, including Polanski’s plea transcript and a Court of Appeals decision extensively setting forth the underlying facts.
1. Roman Polanski did not plead guilty based on the assurance that he would receive only a brief 42-day prison sentence as his entire punishment. When he pled, he knew he could receive as much as 20 years in prison. Neither the judge nor anyone else had made him any promises about what his sentence would be, and his plea did not and could not rely on any promise or assurance from the judge.
2. It is alleged that, on a later date in September 1977, the judge told the lawyers in chambers that he intended to send Polanski to state prison for a “diagnostic study” (which is normally for a period of 90 days) as Polanski’s entire punishment. The lawyers have filed affidavits stating that the judge was told that this procedure was improper, as such diagnostic studies are not intended to serve as punishment, but rather as a tool to allow an evaluation of the defendant, to help determine what further punishment, if any, is appropriate.
3. Polanski served only 42 days instead of the usual 90 — and it has been alleged that the judge wanted to send him back to prison for the balance of that 90 days.
4. The Court of Appeal has said that if Polanski believed that he had been wronged by the judge in any way, there were several options available to him. Given that the Deputy District Attorney on the case is a forthright and honest individual, as Polanski and his lawyer concede, Polanski could have addressed these issues contemporaneously with the full cooperation of that Deputy District Attorney.
Instead, Polanski chose to flee. His actions were not justified.
Speaking only for myself (as I always do on this blog), I have my doubts as to whether the Swiss have any intention of releasing Polanski to the U.S. But regardless of how this all comes out, the way he has flouted our justice system has never been justified.
He anally raped a young girl, and liked it, which is not a common crime I don’t think.
I might could be naive.
happyfeet (c8caab) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:04 pmWait, do you hear that sound of thundering hooves in the distance? It’s the sound of the child rapist’s weird and disgusting apologists running to his defense, yet again. Countdown to said apologist’s screeching…one…two…
Dmac (21311c) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:07 pmThe horror, the horror!
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:14 pmfor reals question… if he came back to “live in freedom in his native land” would he have to register as a child raper?
happyfeet (c8caab) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:14 pmI thought his “native” land was Poland?
AD - RtR/OS! (45c403) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:33 pmWhat punishment would he receive there for what he did?
I’m surprised he didn’t raise the familiar call of the left… “Its Boooooshes fault”!
My uncle, long retired from the federal penitentiary system (assistant warden as last position), early in his career as a guard (according to my father), fell for that “I’m innocent” schtick that every inmate seems to suffer. Fortunately for his career, wiser and more senior guards counseled caution and rationality into him and healthy cynicism towards the guests of society saved him from windmill tilting…. an action that seems to have eluded his supporters. It is ALWAYS someone else’ fault. Always. A trutherism that the MSM embraces with a death grip.
Joec (ddfc3b) — 5/2/2010 @ 6:49 pmI wonder if his supporters have any daughters that can be drugged, photographed nude, and sodomized?
PCD (a45980) — 5/2/2010 @ 7:10 pmMight could be he decided to remain silent no longer because he lost a decision at the 2nd circuit court of appeals in late April which makes extradition appear more likely or maybe he got bored in his chalet in Gstaad.
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/2/2010 @ 7:46 pmHe went to a diagnostic study at Chino run by the Dept. of Correction. He was not serving a sentence but he was being studied by psychologists to see whether he would be successful on probation.
He got wind that the judge wasn’t going to give him probation so he ran.
He may have been under the impression that he wasn’t going to do any more time.
Arizona Bob (e8af2b) — 5/2/2010 @ 8:09 pmWhat does he mean by “common law crimes” in this phrase, “I served time at the prison for common law crimes”? Assuming what he did was commit “common law crimes,” does that make him subject to lesser punishment?
Ira (28a423) — 5/2/2010 @ 8:14 pmI’m not sure Whoopi would agree, but he needs to serve his sentence-sentence because he did commit rape-rape.
MU789 (13091a) — 5/2/2010 @ 8:27 pmI think he wanted to plead barely-guilty since the rape-rape he committed here is barely a crime-crime in Europe or something like that. It makes sense to liberals.
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/2/2010 @ 8:51 pmWe also need to remember the continuing pattern of dating and having sex with underage women that continued during his decades living in France.
Nastassja Kinski was living with him as his girlfriend when she was 15. The chances that these two girls were the only underage victims is slim and none IMHO.
The man is an unrepentant pedophile. I don’t care how many movies (good or bad) he’s made.
MaaddMaaxx (b91eb0) — 5/2/2010 @ 9:01 pmall he has to do is claim that he has been a muslim all these years and is following in the steps of Mad Mo the Pervert….
ya can’t punish him for that or the rest of the muslims will riot.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/2/2010 @ 9:11 pmLet me add to my prior post, he pleaded guilty but was NEVER sentenced. The judge postponed sentencing to have the State of California Dept. of Corrections run a diagnostic study on him. He was NEVER sentenced.
He might have had the impression that he wasn’t going to do any more time. But he later realized he could actually do some time in prison.
In a very technical sense, his lack of being sentenced means that there is NO final judgment in his case.
Arizona Bob (e8af2b) — 5/2/2010 @ 9:11 pm#7
Hopefully…
SteveG (6fa662) — 5/2/2010 @ 9:16 pmYou are right on, Patrick. I agree with EVERY point you made here and have one to add: He fled because he panicked that he would have to spend 20 years in prison. He says he fled because the judge changed his mind. Neither that nor his panic justify him fleeing this country and skirting his punishment.
Anita Busch (a025dd) — 5/2/2010 @ 9:38 pm8, 12, Daley, there’s no underage women to drug and rape on his casting couch in his chalet. That’s why he wants out.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 5/3/2010 @ 6:17 amI just remember how angry I got when I tried to read the transcript of the victim’s account over at The Smoking Gun.
jim2 (6482d8) — 5/3/2010 @ 6:26 amFirst, please send cartoons to: http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/
Happyfeet,
> not a common crime I don’t think.
Well, technically he said common law crime. He is saying that it is a crime under the common law i.e. the body of judge-made law that exists in every state.
Although I wonder if that is true. I have been made to understand that when Cali was founded, they actually codified the vast majority of the common law.
Ira
> does that make him subject to lesser punishment?
Depends on the state law, but I think his real purpose is to try to undermine the law by calling it judge-made.
A.W. (e7d72e) — 5/3/2010 @ 7:06 am#17: Well, he could never get 20 years. The sentence for statutory rape, i.e. under the age of 18, is the shortest of all felony sentences possible. In fact, it is a wobbler meaning a judge can unilaterally reduce it to a misdemeanor without the permission of the prosecutor.
Polanski got his biggest break when the DA allowed him to plead to the stat rape charge instead of the much more serious child molesting one. This was done apparently to mollify the victim.
Now to put too fine a point on it, California enacted a Determinate Sentencing Law about this time so there is an issue on whether the prior law applied. If it did, still it would have been considered far less serious than initial child molesting one.
Arizona Bob (e8af2b) — 5/3/2010 @ 7:11 amCareful everyone or Myron will appear in this thread to accuse us all of abandoning our “small government, conservative” principles because we want a child-rapist sent to prison.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 5/3/2010 @ 7:14 am#14, red, you’re onto something. First, Polanski converts to Islam, then he releases a documentary film on the nation’s fundamental transformation showing how the peaceful protests inspired by Bill Ayres eventually united the nation to pass healthcare legislation and finally came to holy fruition in the the apotheosis of Berry.
Coincidentally, the Climate Change Czar at NASA reveals that a new constellation has appeared in the heavens to guide liberals to Chicago. School children compose songs to The Great Stimulator who walks among us yet has no birth certificate or college transcripts.
All the while Polanski quietly spreads a little money around in progressive circles, then Eric Holder spontaneously decides to have the GITMO lawyers on his DOJ staff look into the longstanding allegation that Polanski’s Koran was flushed down the toilet while he was being water-boarded by Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin.
Obama apologizes to Polanski, France, and Switzerland, then issues a pardon, Polanski pays a fine and does community service counseling Islamic youth to respect the right of freedom to associate with virgins. Case Closed.
[note: fished from spam filter. –Stashiu]
ropelight (334377) — 5/3/2010 @ 8:50 amWe actually have Anita Busch posting here? Damn, ‘rico, that’s journo-power! Busch was among the smartest of film editors…so note that Hollywood is not lockstep in favor of RP.
One tiny positive in this case: When I used to hear arguments about Polanski at Musso and Frank’s restaurant, circa 1978, there really was a widespread attitude of “are we sure this is a crime?” The small positive is that nowadays the vast majority of people know better, even in the industry.
Special to Have Blue–cleverly stealthy handle! I remember when we really knew how to do cryptonyms right–“Cobra Ball”, “Rivet Joint”, “Gamma Guppy”. Now THOSE were impenetrable–not half-assed half-secrets like calling Air Force One “Archangel”…
Gary M (1a2970) — 5/3/2010 @ 11:10 am“I Can Remain Silent No Longer” – the aggrieved, put-upon, heroic martyr speaks. Yes, he’s really sorry for what he did.
The grandiose self pity the piece oozes isn’t nearly as disgusting as the original crime, but this victimhood whine, after all that he did to that girl and trying to run from justice for 30 years and living like exiled royalty abroad besides, is beyond pathetic.
Just SHUT UP and pay your penalty; people might have a shred of respect left for you.
no one you know (196ed7) — 5/3/2010 @ 11:34 amMaybe if someone opened up on Polanski’s chalet with a Chicago Typewriter, Polanski would hunker down and shut up.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 5/3/2010 @ 12:43 pmFrom what I can tell, he really never stopped dominating the lady he raped. The tactic of ‘we will destroy you unless you back off’ should be presented to the public. I wish new charges could be brought against him.
I know he famously was hitting on girls on the way to his beautiful wife’s tragic funeral, and he’s a symbol of all that is wrong with Hollywood. He always had this self pity shtick. He’s outraged anyone even wants to hold poor Roman accountable. Don’t you know what he’s been through?
I wonder how many European kids he paid off.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 5/3/2010 @ 1:04 pmI don’t think that he understands that many people think that what he did was (a) wrong and (b) illegal and (c) merits punishment at the hands of the state, regardless of what the victim may say or do. Just doesn’t get it. Perhaps an insanity plea (of the “doesn’t understand that this is a crime” sort) would have been appropriate when he started.
Though it looks like he’d be locked up for life in a sexual-deviant psych ward for life if that was tried, so maybe not a good idea.
htom (412a17) — 5/3/2010 @ 4:33 pmHe’s scum, pure and unadulterated. So are those who support him.
Bill M (df8a31) — 5/3/2010 @ 4:36 pmResponses here are too kind. The ones I saw on the LA Times blog really (except for a few supporters of rapping a 13 yr old), really take our buddy Roman to task.
Hey Roman, if you are that picked ion, show up in court and defend yourself. You’d get better protection there than in many places.
Cheshire Cat (0cd6a2) — 5/3/2010 @ 5:28 pmThank you Gary M. I figured a stealth commenter should have a stealth nick, and this is a little more obscure than Anon.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 5/3/2010 @ 10:13 pmWho let him out after 42 days ?
SiliconDoc (7ba52b) — 5/6/2010 @ 7:46 pmWhat isn’t being said is the whole case smells of corruption and pay offs and favors for big shots to be with connections established even 33 years ago.
Rumor(or lawyerly word “alleged”): ” The judge wanted to sentence him to just 90 days “…
Well apparently he got out after 42.
No one on either side wants to tell WHY, or HOW.
That indicates corruption in high places.
The perp won’t say, it could piss off those still in high places and those defending the system.
The prosecution won’t say, it stinks and looks bad.
Back then, the 70’s, the libs had pedophilia as one of their liberating goals in life – as in “come on USA, get up to speed with the rest of the “free love” world, and stop being mired in tight religious bondage”.
Yeah, so who let the guy out at 42 days, what’s the story there, as well as the “90 days looks good” judge ?
Anyone ?
I don’t know maybe we’re just fascist totalitarians now, and prefer 5 years for cocaine and 7 years for murder, 3-5 for harming a pet…
Back then 90 days was probably standard for drugging and raping and sodomizing a 13 year old?
Roman Polanski is a child molester that is for sure”`’
Hailey Hall (7d2a7a) — 10/5/2010 @ 1:02 pmi thin that Roman Polanski should not only be jailed but he should be hanged _
Fire Surround · (af1e1f) — 11/9/2010 @ 12:31 pm