Roman Polanski Arrested

[karltmc]

I have to say, I think the Susan Atkins comparison does have some merit.

Like others, for a while I had been trying not to comment on this whole thing. Given how long it's been and the fact that Geimer has said she wanted the whole thing dropped, I admit that at first I didn't really feel that passionate about this.

But it's the snobbish, preening reaction on the part of so many in the film industry and on film blogs and message boards that has been making me steadily start to feel like I'm going crazy over this. Yes, a lot of people are predictably attacking Polanski with self-righteous fury. I expect that. What I didn't expect was all the misplaced, self-righteous fury mobilized in Polanski's defense! Where are these outraged, broad-minded people when the US justice system comes after poorer or less celebrated people? I honestly think the overreaction by those defending Polanski is far more dangerous than the predictable overreaction by his attackers. It just makes all of us on the left, all of us who are concerned with the real injustices in this country look foolish. It's like all these people are squandering the influence they can have over the culture on a case that doesn't deserve it, because it's an easy way to strike a snobbish pose.

I thought Katha Pollitt, writing in The Nation, got right to the point:

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anothert ... of_friends" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[starmanof51]

Here's Roman from a 1979 interview with Martin Amis:

“If I had killed somebody, it wouldn’t have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But… f—ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f— young girls. Juries want to f— young girls. Everyone wants to f— young girls!”

Dude, stop digging.

[bigP]

A 43-year-old man got a 13-year-old girl alone, got her drunk, gave her a quaalude, and, after checking the date of her period, anally raped her, twice, while she protested; she submitted, she told the grand jury "because I was afraid." Those facts are not in dispute--except by Polanski, who has pooh-poohed the whole business many times

Not that it makes a great deal of difference to the overall case, but I actually thought there was dispute on the sodomy as the medical examiner was unable to prove or disprove the claim. She could have also chosen a better set of words than "pooh-pooh'd" given the context.

Polanski, who drugged and anally raped a thirteen-year-old girl in 1977 in Los Angeles

It also amazes me how few reporters writing about this case use the term 'allegedly' and seem to say everything as cold fact. Many of these blogs and articles just seems very unethical and propogandist

But it's the snobbish, preening reaction on the part of so many in the film industry and on film blogs and message boards...What I didn't expect was all the misplaced, self-righteous fury mobilized in Polanski's defense!

I think in all fairness (and I agree with you that it's embarrassing watching all these artists forming circles around their buddy), alot of the complaints that have stemmed from blogs and reporters in attack of the Celebrity-Coalition have disregarded the reasons that some may have jumped on the bandwagon. To say some have joined / signed their name to defend an artist and his art would certainly apply for some, others maybe to get noticed and joined the controversy but there is a large opinion around that the American authorities have overstepped their boundaries and that their snake in the grass tactics are immoral, unethical and utterly disgusting. To lift a quote from Katha Pollitt's blog, Frederic Mitterand's opinion that this arrest has displayed "the scary side of America" is actually not an absurd opinion, and certainly should not be forgotten in the context of the signed petition which is appealed with "The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance...opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects".

[karltmc]

I think in all fairness (and I agree with you that it's embarrassing watching all these artists forming circles around their buddy), alot of the complaints that have stemmed from blogs and reporters in attack of the Celebrity-Coalition have disregarded the reasons that some may have jumped on the bandwagon. To say some have joined / signed their name to defend an artist and his art would certainly apply for some, others maybe to get noticed and joined the controversy but there is a large opinion around that the American authorities have overstepped their boundaries and that their snake in the grass tactics are immoral, unethical and utterly disgusting. To lift a quote from Katha Pollitt's blog, Frederic Mitterand's opinion that this arrest has displayed "the scary side of America" is actually not an absurd opinion, and certainly should not be forgotten in the context of the signed petition which is appealed with "The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance...opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects".

Yeah, I don't want to give the impression that I think the state of the US justice system on the whole is anything but scary. Or that LA County comes out of this looking very good. In fact, paranoid that I am, I share the suspicions of some of Polanski's defenders that this sudden renewed interest in extraditing Polanski on the part of LA County may stem from their embarrassment over the questions raised by Polanski's appeal and the recent HBO documentary made about him.

I just think this is a very bad case for all these people to take on and make such an issue out of. In the end, I fear, it will do more harm to their purported cause than good.

I'm not so sure about that petition, though. There really was never any reason for Polanski to assume that Switzerland wouldn't extradite him. The issue really is that LA didn't give them a formal request before now. I think Switzerland is just following the letter of the law here. I wouldn't agree that it sets a dangerous precedent.

[Lemmy Caution]

I'd think the bigger scandal is why France didn't extradite him, since he plead guilty to raping a 13 year old and went on the lam prior to sentencing.

[Erikht]

Yes, i would think that Switzerland would make a very dangerous precedent by not extraditing him.

[tavernier]

Chris Rock's take

[Dadapass]

Here is an excerpt from a Charlie Rose interview with Polanski.
Old but I just saw this and thought I'd post it.

[AttitudeAJM]

To step away from the rape aspect of the case for a moment:

What are the penalties that he may face for fleeing the country. I would think those charges would be the biggest sticking point at the moment. I can't see how he could escape doing time for that.

[Nothing]

a reformed criminal dying of terminal brain cancer was, perhaps, worthy of the slimmest measure of mercy.

By reformed I assume you mean born again . But - yes, I agree with you. Any State concerned with human rights and human dignity would have granted any prisoner a compassionate release in the circumstances, of course.

[Napier]

a reformed criminal dying of terminal brain cancer was, perhaps, worthy of the slimmest measure of mercy.

By reformed I assume you mean born again . But - yes, I agree with you. Any State concerned with human rights and human dignity would have granted any prisoner a compassionate release in the circumstances, of course.

Or, given them an Oscar.

[Costello]

To step away from the rape aspect of the case for a moment:

What are the penalties that he may face for fleeing the country. I would think those charges would be the biggest sticking point at the moment. I can't see how he could escape doing time for that.

This lady says 5-15 years but that seems incredibly steep to me. If you read the first link here it states the penalty ranges from a fine to up to 5 years.

[MichaelB]

This lady says 5-15 years but that seems incredibly steep to me. If you read the first link here it states the penalty ranges from a fine to up to 5 years.

I'd expect the penalty to be pretty harsh - after all, as with perjury, there's a clear need to discourage others from attempting the same thing.

[Costello]

This lady says 5-15 years but that seems incredibly steep to me. If you read the first link here it states the penalty ranges from a fine to up to 5 years.

I'd expect the penalty to be pretty harsh - after all, as with perjury, there's a clear need to discourage others from attempting the same thing.

I'm not a lawyer, I was merely speculating. But I wouldn't expect the punishment for fleeing to exceed the initial sentence:

California

§ 261. 5(b)-(d)

Any person 21 years of age or older who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is under 16 years of age is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony

Up to one year in a county jail or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years

[AttitudeAJM]

Don't they put stops on passports now to make sure people don't run? I understand that someone could sneak onto someone else's private jet but its a lot more than they probably did back then.

[Oedipax]

I hate to pick this scab again, but this response to the whole incident was too good to pass up. It's written on a listserv known as film_and_politics and the author is one Jack Angstreich, who some of you may remember from the great documentary Cinemania.

Modern philosophical analysis has revealed "free will" to be an incoherent concept and, therefore, a non-existent faculty. Employment of this concept -- either in defense of imperialist extradition treaties or in the quixotic project of reforming bourgeois "justice" -- can never be rationally justified.

An excellent summary of the relevant argument may be found at the following URLs:

http://www.naturalism.org/strawson.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.believermag.com/issues/20030 ... w_strawson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bravo, sir. =D>

[GringoTex]

Modern philosophical analysis has revealed "free will" to be an incoherent concept and, therefore, a non-existent faculty. Employment of this concept -- either in defense of imperialist extradition treaties or in the quixotic project of reforming bourgeois "justice" -- can never be rationally justified.

An excellent summary of the relevant argument may be found at the following URLs:

http://www.naturalism.org/strawson.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And yet the facts are clear. One cannot be ultimately responsible for one's character or mental nature in any way at all.

Woohoo, game over! Scoreboard, bitch!

[akaten]

a reformed criminal dying of terminal brain cancer was, perhaps, worthy of the slimmest measure of mercy.

By reformed I assume you mean born again . But - yes, I agree with you. Any State concerned with human rights and human dignity would have granted any prisoner a compassionate release in the circumstances, of course.

Lucrative oil contracts also help.

I'd think the bigger scandal is why France didn't extradite him, since he plead guilty to raping a 13 year old and went on the lam prior to sentencing.

The extradiction treaty Britain holds with the US offers a good enough reason, the superpower sets the terms, and the people flow in one direction.

[MoonlitKnight]

So...American authorities don't consider having to live in France for over 30 years punishment enough? :-"

[MichaelB]

The Swiss Justice Ministry has rejected his application for release pending the resolution of his extradition challenge.

Apparently they're concerned that he might flee the country.

[aox]

Apparently they're concerned that he might flee the country.

And what's their basis for this?

oh, wait.

[tajmahal]

Apparently they're concerned that he might flee the country.

And what's their basis for this?

oh, wait.

Apparently the authorities are more concerned about an attempted breakout. They got wind of a plan by Woody Allan to smuggle in a gun carved out of soap.

[Cinephrenic]

So...American authorities don't consider having to live in France for over 30 years punishment enough? :-"

Shit, I would want to live in France as punishment.

[MoonlitKnight]

So...American authorities don't consider having to live in France for over 30 years punishment enough? :-"

Shit, I would want to live in France as punishment.

What? An American who's not down on France??? I'll admit I like the southern region (Provence, the Riviera, etc.), but that's about it. And Paris is the most vastly overrated city in the world.

[R0lf]

a reformed criminal dying of terminal brain cancer was, perhaps, worthy of the slimmest measure of mercy.

By reformed I assume you mean born again . But - yes, I agree with you. Any State concerned with human rights and human dignity would have granted any prisoner a compassionate release in the circumstances, of course.

I don't know. When I think about the nine month pregnant Sharon Tate begging to be kept alive another week so she could give birth and then being stabbed sixteen times...