A Good Polanski Basher

Here we go, from Kate Harding at Salon.  Is anybody other than Anne Appelbaum of the WaPo actually defending Polanski?  Ms. Appelbaum's hubby is the Polish Foreign Minister pushing for his release, so one might judge that Ms. Appelbaum is flacking for her spouse.

In any case, it was Obama's See No Evil DoJ that approved the extradition request, and Polanski didn't even waterboard anyone.

Comments

[Jane]

Oh I bet Hollywood is rallying behind him as I write this.

[Pops]

This is clearly a push by the Obama administration to get more ACORN volunteers. Who better to help ACORN provide advice on setting up brothels for 13 year old Hispanic girls.

[Jack is Back!]

Funny, they caught him in Switzerland where Nabokov was buried. You have to be a Nabokov fan to understand the nuance there.

[Strawman Cometh]

Forget it, Jane. It's Chinatown

[Neo]

I'm really tired of the "return Polanski for trial" BS. Polanski has already been found guilty .. in a court of law, no less. Seems he skipped town before the sentencing.

[daddy]

Hollywood writer and 9/11 Conservative ">http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/09/28/romans-arrest-a-view-from-los-angeles/"> Roger Simon over at Pajama's Media has this write-up on Polanski, but unlike his usual column's I don't believe he hit the mark, because at the bottom of his column he has had to add this update to explain himself:

"UPDATE: I see from the comments that a few readers think I condone Polanski’s actions. Not in the slightest. I called him the “emblem of special pleading” and tried to take it beyond what I assumed we all thought obvious – you don’t fool around with thirteen year old girls."

I like Roger Simon and admire him as an excellent wordsmith, but in general I think that if you have 9 paragraphs to call a despicable s#$% a despicable s#$%, you shouldn't need to add a 10th paragraph after the fact to get the job done.

[Thomas Collins]

I'd say Polanski deserves as much sympathy as any non-glitterati person would deserve for rape, becoming a fugitive from justice and being caught decades later. In other words, no sympathy. The Applebaum article is puke inducing, which is pretty amazing given that I thought I had become immune to the stench of MSM.

[CrashX]

I'm guessing Polanski actually requested Obama extrade him - things aren't looking good for him in his native Poland.
He got away with it here - but back in his homeland, it's snip snip snip for movie mogul molesters.
The world loves a child molester - so that's good enough for an Obama pardon.

[bishop]

OT, because I can't think of the proper punishment for Polanski, the memoir, "Going Rogue" will be out Nov. 17th

[FE]

Notice they just sentenced a PC for ped stuff? It's OIG playing spy games. Not very good at it.

[MayBee]

Please remember the real sexual pervert here, the one who must be forgiven, is Larry Craig.

[MayBee]

Must NOT be forgiven.

[Extraneus]

You know what's puke-inducing? The transcript of her testimony at TheSmokingGun.com. The guy should have done time, and still should, and not just for unlawful intercourse with a minor, which they let him cop to.

I never knew the story until now, but MayBee's comment in another thread got me to look into it. The testimony never mentioned who the other woman at Nicholson's house was; was that Angelica Huston? (Sorry if that's wrong Safire.)

[James H]

I read a defense of Polanski somewhere a couple days ago so he does have some defenders. The main defense seems to be that he made a plea bargain with the prosecutor which involved a psychiatric committment and evaluation for a period of 42 days. That was to be the extent of the punishment and Polanski complied. The judge rejected the plea bargain (as is his right) so I think Polanski wants to withdraw his guilty plea. Without the victim's cooperation, the prosecution doesn't have much of a case and prosecutors aren't supposed to bring cases they can't win just to harrass someone.

[daddy]

Clarice or Jane or Lawyer's,

A recent Anchorage story I linked yesterday showed that the corrupt guy at the heart of the Ted Stevens case had had multiple underage sex partners, and was under investigation for that, but that
"detective, Kevin Vandegriff, originally suspended his investigation in 2004 at the request of federal prosecutors...," who as we now know, were using Bill Allen to wear wiretaps to try to entrap Stevens and fellow State Republican's. I also recall that the head FBI investigator wore a dress to trial as some enticement or benefit to pervert Allen.

Anyhow, since all the Repub corruption scandals up here have collapsed while DC goes thru' it's slow investigation I simply ask as a non-Lawyer:

Is it unusual for Federal Prosecutors to stop investigators from investigating such stuff for 4 years, or is this a normal method of making a slimeball like Allen do your bidding by holding the re-instatement of such prosecution over his head as incentive to get him to comply with a sting operation?

[matt]

The rape occurred, I believe at Jack Nicholson's house with his knowledge, and yes, Polanski skipped before sentencing.

All they have to do is read the sentence into the record and Roman can start writing his next film in peace and quiet.

[Ignatz]

--The judge rejected the plea bargain (as is his right) so I think Polanski wants to withdraw his guilty plea.--

I wonder if one can withdraw a guilty plea after 32 years on the run. On top of that he has the flight charges to face as well.

--Without the victim's cooperation, the prosecution doesn't have much of a case and prosecutors aren't supposed to bring cases they can't win just to harrass someone.--

She has indicated she wants the case dropped. That does not mean if she needs to testify again that she would refuse to do so, especially since they already have her testimony from the original case on record.

[Extraneus]

I think I saw that Nicholson was out of the country at the time, so he couldn't be implicated, but from the girl's testimony there was a dark-haired woman at his place, who saw and talked to the girl before the event, left the girl there with Polanski, got back before the event was finished, and talked to the girl after the event as she left to the wait in the car for Polanski to give her a ride back to her mother's. It appeared from the testimony that the woman was in the next room while the event was paused -- when Polanski talked to the woman through the door -- and then re-initiated and concluded, but there was no mention of whether there might have been noise enough that the woman would have known exactly what went on. (Although, sorry to be indelicate, it seems reasonable to assume that unwelcome anal sex would have been met with some kind of sound.)

I thought I saw somewhere that the woman was Angelica Huston, and it's difficult without a picture to know for sure that she should have known the girl wasn't 18, but from the girl's testimony it's hard to believe the woman didn't know or suspect what was going on in the next room.

I didn't follow the story at the time, but it's surprising from the girl's testimony that the woman wasn't investigated as an accessory or something like that.

[windansea]

Jeralyn seems to only favor prosecutions when its a Bush war criminal

Outrageous Arrest in Switzerland: Free Roman Polanski

[clarice]

daddy,"Is it unusual for Federal Prosecutors to stop investigators from investigating such stuff for 4 years, or is this a normal method of making a slimeball like Allen do your bidding by holding the re-instatement of such prosecution over his head as incentive to get him to comply with a sting operation? "

I seem to recall cases where the FBI covered for murderers who were their informants. I suppose anything can happen, but surely when the charges are statutory rape, I think a line has been crossed.

[Jane]

Is it unusual for Federal Prosecutors to stop investigators from investigating such stuff for 4 years

Daddy,

I know nothing about federal investigations - it's a very different world. But it sure seems odd to me - unless they dropped it under one administration and started again under another.
It sounds political to me.

She has indicated she wants the case dropped.

Hmmm I was about to say "leave it up to the victim" til I read this, and I'm now having second thoughts.

[Pops]

"" The judge rejected the plea bargain (as is his right) so I think Polanski wants to withdraw his guilty plea. ""

Its not the judges right, its the law. What makes you think Polanski wants to withdraw his guilty plea? Is it the 30 years as a fugitive that speaks to that?

He didn't withdraw his plea, he ran from justice and has spit in the eye of lady justice for 30 years.

You don't get do overs Pal. Ohh, I don't like my punishment so I'm going to change my mind.

I watched Chris Mathews tonight and I have to ask...what is this liberals love for child rapists? It seems liberals come out of the woodwork to defend men who have sex with underage or powerless girls.
Even Clintons girl, although not underage was young and powerless and they trashed her.

And Obamas mentor was also a child molester.

[PeterUK]

Jane,
The woman now has children.It is understandable that she would not want this raked over again.

[Captain Hate]

I watched Chris Mathews tonight and I have to ask...what is this liberals love for child rapists? It seems liberals come out of the woodwork to defend men who have sex with underage or powerless girls

Libs hate children; they remind them how immature and developmentally stunted they are.

[Extraneus]

Lots of apologists over there, windandsea. Few commenters seem to think that skipping out was an offense in and of itself, nevermind that the victim received an undisclosed amount in a settlement, or whether that settlement involved a committment not to pursue. Here's a good one:

I really do feel that much of this has a political feel to it. I am sympathetic to Polanski, my right wing friend, for some reason, hates him for no other reason than some right-wing radio show told him to.

As you allude to, Mr. Polanski had some right-wing enemies from long ago. Perhaps that is the root of it. The right-wing needs some blood.

So it's political? I wonder if that commenter has any kids, or if so, a daughter. I don't suffer any illusions as to what the left is capable of, though, if they ever get enough power.

[Pops]

"She has indicated she wants the case dropped."

You can't drop a case when the perp has already pled guilty and been convicted.

More excuses, excuses. If he had run a dog fighting ring and pled guilty, he wouldn't have a single defender today...but rape a 13 year old child and people want to find every reason to set you free....sick, sick people.

[Thomas Collins]

Daddy, see LUN for a short description of what is probably the most notorious example in New England of the FBI protecting informants who the FBI knew to be criminals(it is at the end of the Wikipedia bio of Whitey Bulger).

[Thomas Collins]

For those interested in a longer treatment of certain unsavory aspects of the FBI's relationship with informants, see LUN (information on the book Black Mass).

[Thomas Collins]

OK, last comment on this. Howie Carr's book on the Bulger brothers also has interesting material on gangbusters and their gangland buddies. See LUN.

[MayBee]

Jeffrey Toobin on CNN just said Polanski's lawyers have been trying to get the case dropped. He said the judge is generally sympathetic to listening to his case that there was judicial misconduct (that judge is dead), but won't do anything until Polanski shows up himself.

He was the one that chose to skip out rather than use the court system.

[Ignatz]

--but surely when the charges are statutory rape--

clarice,
Statutory rape is what he pled to but the original charges were these, via wiki:

--Polanski was initially charged with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance (methaqualone) to a minor. These charges were dismissed under the terms of his plea bargain, and he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.--

I noted with some amusement Jeralyn's bizarre defense of this masher. when several of her commenters disagreed with her, one of them said even though he was 76 he doubted Jeralyn would let him baby sit her 13 year old daughter. She immediately jumped in and said she would.
Moloch lives.

[bishop]

That was the template on which "theDeparted"
was based, with Connelly and Whitey Bulger,

[clarice]

Ignatz--I was referring to the Stevens case where federal prosecutors apparently persuaded the state to stop investigating Statutory rape charges against the government's star witness, not the Polanski case.

[justonebullet]

"She has indicated she wants the case dropped."

Well, I suppose there would have been an agreement whereby she would never talk about it again or testify in court, if the situation ever arises.

Her testimony hardly matters because he skipped town. I hope Polanski will be jailed long enough that when he is released, his top half says he wants but the bottom half says he can't.

[Ignatz]

--Ignatz--I was referring to the Stevens case--

Doh!
Never mind.

[peter]

I read a biography of Polanski years ago. It strongly implied that he and Nicholson used to do underage minors all the time. This was not a one time occurrence.

On the other hand he was persecuted by the Nazis in Poland.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

There is probably a better thread to put this link, but I'm rushing to get out the door and I wanted to be sure you all see this. First Diamond is back and now up pops Stanley Kurtz:

Patrick Gaspard, ACORN, and Obama -- By: Stanley Kurtz

[Extraneus]

I think someone posted about Iowahawk $33.18 Endowment for the Arts, but it's shaping up to be a tour de force of wholesome, topical, subsidized art. Here's one of the early entries.

[centralcal]

Greetings Clarice - missed you this weekend. Were you away observing Yom Kippur?

I thought of you on Sunday when I watched the PBS marathon, Jewish in America. Very interesting and informative. I especially enjoyed the earliest portions. Have you seen it? Any thoughts about the presentation? I only ask because it is PBS after all.

[Extraneus]

Ah, it was you who linked the Iowahawk pic, cc. Credit is due!

[Thomas Collins]

See LUN for what I think would be an excellent Christmas present for Obama.

[matt]

ext;

was that poster originally of Kramer? I will never forget doing a site survey for the Atlanta Olympics at Georgia Tech, which was to be the village, and walking into a frat house room with officials from Africa and South America who were all wondering who the guy in the picture was as I tried to stifle my glee...

[Extraneus]

I'm told it was from a Seinfeld episode where Kramer's portait was painted.

[Rocco]

New Zeal always had lots on the New Party. As I've said a million times, Obama signed a contract with the New Party in 1995. Check out the Chicago New Party Update. These were the infamous "House Parties" at Ayers house. Also note that Bentley claims ACORN and SEIU were the harbingers of the New Party.

[clarice]

cc, because the wolverine had off from school and my d-i-l had a break before starting with her new firm, they decided to make a quick trip to NY and we joined them. Left after the first prayers and returned before the final ones.
Happy New Years to all..I didn't see the pbs special.

I did happy to run into the American Girl store in NY while babysitting the wolverine..This year's new doll is Rebecca Rubin.
We didn't get her though . We got a Just Like Me Doll and a passle of outfits all the while giggling that my d-i-l was going to kill me. It's amazing, my D-I-L had once visited the flagship store in Chicago and accurately described the girls who shop there as cultists who look like they are on crack. The store was full of frenzied American Girl fanatics.
(We two are hooked BTW)

[clarice]

Hmm Ext--Big Fur Hat's doing an art exhibit sponsored by the NEA and surprise--he, too, did Michelle as the Mona Lisa. HEH

[Soylent Red]

You know...I once dated a girl who was a Polanski Basher. I still walk with a limp.

Happy Yom Clarice. Pat the wolverine on the head for me (what a delightful child!).

[gus]

The only pertinant question here is...
How old was Barry Obama when the crime took place?
It's called the "I'M PALS WITH BILL AYERS" defense.
Maybe Barry and Roman could have a beer and talk it over.

[Jim Ryan]

Yes, that is a painting of Kramer with O's face pasted in. In the episode, one of the purchasers of the painting says,

"He is a loathsome, offensive brute --yet I can't look away...He sickens me."

[jimmyk]

what is this liberals love for child rapists?

Liberals always get gooey-eyed when it comes to artists.

Incidentally, my understanding is that part of the "willingness to forgive" on the part of the victim may have to do with a financial settlement.

On the other hand, there was this documentary a couple of years ago that suggested serious prosecutorial misconduct in this case. I haven't seen the documentary, so I don't know how much it really affects the situation. But I would like to see the process play out in court.

I confess to a certain amount of sympathy for Polanski for the terrible things he has endured in his life--the Krakow ghetto, losing his mother to the Nazis and his pregnant wife to Manson's gang. But it's obviously no excuse, and he should do some hard time.

[clarice]

hanks Soylent.

Odd typo--I said "happy to run into" when I meant Happened to run into..but it was a happy event..We laughed so hard Saturday that the wolverine's dad said she laughed in her sleep that night.

[Dave (in MA)]

I've made my own attempt at relieving Iowahawk of his $33.18.

[RichatUF]

Dave, the orange juice carton is a nice touch, but maybe Obama could use a halo.

[For the surreality based among us.]

Nice, Dave, now how about a Dali version with the Joker Obama.
===================================

[daddy]

TC,

Sickeningly interesting on Whitey Bolger. At least he didn't recommend selling cocaine to kids, though where that scruple came from beats me.

Thanks Clarice for the input. Story say's Allen was accused of having sex with at least 5 underage girls, and that 2 told investigators he coerced them to sign a statement saying he had never had sex with them in the first place, in the case of on offering a $5,000 bribe.

"Even after he agreed to testify, Allen hated to talk about the child sex allegations and denied wrongdoing. Lead FBI Agent Mary Beth Kepner once said that Allen would "become unglued" whenever he learned the allegations might become public, according to the Kott motion."

Mary Beth Kepner you'll remember, is the one that wore the pretty dress at trial that Allen requested, and is the Agent accused of being corrupt and way too close to Allen by the Whistleblowing Rookie FBI Agent.

Oh well, at least Allen is being re-investigated now for these Statutory Rapes, so maybe he and Mary Beth will one day get to share a jail cell together. If you missed it or care, the story this came from is ">http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/kott/story/949199.html"> here.

[daddy]

Wow, the comments to the Wapo that are vehemently anti-Applebaum are outstanding. Its about 9 to 1 against her and there are hundreds">http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/09/the_outrageous_arrest_of_roman.html">hundreds of comments.

So what this tells me, is next time Anne Applebaum writes a column, they probably won't allow comments. End of problem.

[Mike Huggins]

What's with Applebaum? She's now lost all credibility with me. Even with her husband advocating on behalf of Polanski, she didn't have to write a column about it (and now she claims, as per patterico, that she didn't know her husband was involved). Why write what she did? It just seems so stupid. How can you have - with all her great gulag work - such a blind spot about this? So, I guess it is an "elitist" thing. Or is it something else? Weird.

[Bullshit, Anne. Give that up.]

That's pretty disingenuous of Anne about her husband. Is she such a stranger to him?
====================================

[Pops]

""I confess to a certain amount of sympathy for Polanski for the terrible things he has endured in his life"

By the looks of it, he never 'endured' anything. What makes you think those events in his life bothered him one bit?
Your assuming a psychopath thinks and feels the way you would.
If you are capable of repeatedly raping a 13 year old child, I would think you would pretty easily excuse anything the Nazis did.

[daddy]

You guys who are smarter than me will have to figure out what this">http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2009/sep/28/forbes-memo-polanski-arrrest">this UK Guardian story about a leaked AP memo is trying to tell us about the timing of the Polanski arrest in Switzerland.

A previous ">http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/sep/28/roman-polanski-arrest-hollywood"> UK Guardian story that lead to this leaked memo story says: "Unsubstantiated claims are circling that Swiss authorities may be using Polanski as a sacrificial lamb to appease their US counterparts ahead of an unfolding tax-evasion scandal that involves the Swiss banking giant UBS and wealthy US account holders."

Don't know if it means something or is complete BS but thought I'd toss it out there for explanation.

[Pops]

""and his pregnant wife to Manson's gang""

Ohh, yes, poor poor Polanski, lost the wife he admitted he repeatedly cheating on...poor poor Polanski.

In 2005, UNDER OATH, Polanski admitted that he had cheated on Tate while they were married, and even acknowleged that he slept with another woman a month after Tate's death.

Poor Polanski...

[Pops]

Poor Micheal Vick, they put his dogs to sleep...poor Vick....

[daddy]

“I know it wasn’t rape-rape. It was something else but I don’t believe it was rape-rape."

Whoopi">http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/09/28/whoopi-defends-polanski-it-wasnt-rape-rape/">Whoopi Goldberg explains what it wasn't.

[Extraneus]

Bravo Dave! Is that a three foot sub?

[hrtshpdbox]

By the looks of it, he never 'endured' anything. What makes you think those events in his life bothered him one bit?

What makes you think they didn't bother him? And how do you call Polanski a "psychopath" - just a handy word to use? I think that sleeping with a 13-year old is repugnant (I'll say it, even though those unable to focuse only on that will forget I said it), but the guy has suffered enough. Besides what happened to his parents, besides his own time spent in the Krakow ghetto, besides having his eight-months pregnant wife butchered by an actual psychopath, besides all that he's already suffered at the hands of the L.A. court system. The reason he pled guity was because of a plea bargain agreed to by the prosecution and the defense and the judge - until the judge changed his mind when he saw a picture of Polanski out at a nightclub. Polanski had upheld his end of the bargain - the 43 days observation Polanski underwent, in jail, determined that he was not a child abuser or a threat to society, and "the deal" was that he'd receive probation. Far from a cushy deal for celebrities, this is exactly how any Joe Public with no prior record would've been treated. It's worth noting that the prosecutor in the case said, in that documentary mentioned, that he didn't blame Polanski at all for fleeing once it became apparent that the judge was going to renege on the deal. It's also worth noting that the two-weeks-shy of 14 years old girl involved was not a virgin at the time of the incident, had an extensive history of drug use, was voluntarily spending time with Polanski in hopes of landing some acting/modeling work, and that Polanski didn't even know how old she was. Not every teenager is the same, and this particular one was not Pippi Longstocking. Considering the rampant crime in L.A., a 30 year old stautary rape charge against a 76 year old man is just utterly bizarre to pursue; and it's more than fishy that Switzerland, where Polanski keeps a home and spends three months a year, decides to honor this warrant now while they're having a banking controversy with the U.S. Yes, Polanski, a great filmmaker who has endured a lifetime of personal horrors, committed a sleazy and immoral act 30 years ago, and he's paid for it many times over professionally. It's disgraceful that he was arrested, and it's disgraceful (though predictable) that people want to see him behind bars for it now.

[tea anyone]

So what you are saying is that it was the victims fault? Good to know.

[Rocco]

Two liberals are walking down the street one day when they happen upon a man beaten and bloody, laying face down in the middle of the street. One liberal turns to the other and says, "We've got to find the man who did this. The other liberal responds, "Yes we do because he needs help!

[Extraneus]

hrt, in the transcript of his plea hearing, Polanski admitted that he did know her age (p14), and it was explained to him that the judge could reneg, and that he could withdraw his guilty plea if that happened (p16).

[Rocco]

There's an opening at the NEA...Maybe he could work with Shep?

[Rocco]

I guess he's a "former" child rapist, kinda like Ayers is a former terrorist.

[PeterUK]

hrtshpdbox,
Your exculpation of Polanski would be more acceptable if this kind of behaviour was not rife in Hollywood. Strangely the practitioners rise honoured and unsullied to the peaks of their profession whilst the many victims sink into the morass.
The casting couch was ever thus,but paedophilia is not a "one off" condition.

[Jane]

Far from a cushy deal for celebrities, this is exactly how any Joe Public with no prior record would've been treated.

I don't think so -

Frankly I think he is a distraction. And of course there are always a million excuses for raping 13 year olds. We would never think of buying them from some poor, unfamous guy. In fact we'd be openly speculating that he probably raped 100's more.

I am as opposed to separate standards for the famous as I am for separate laws for Congress.

[Jack is Back!]

To summarize the thread so far:

The timing is suspicious.

Anne Appplebaum is a moron.

There is a tie to the recent financial disclosure of secret American accounts in Swiss banks.

Alaska has a similar problem but more complicated.

It was only rape, not rape-rape.

Finally, who cares?

[Captain Hate]

he's paid for it many times over professionally

Really? How so?

[tea anyone]

Exactly CH,
Wasn't he in Switzerland to except some kind of award? That certain is paying professionally, in cash I'm sure.

[MayBee]

I watched "Wanted and Desired" last night with my husband. It's the Polanski documentary. I also read more about him yesterday.
The documentary makes it pretty clear that Polanski knew they girls age and had no problem with having sex with a 13 year old. He'd already had an affair with Kinsky by that time, starting when she was 15. There is also an incident mentioned where Polanski was hanging out at a Swiss boarding school. He liked/likes young girls.

His testimony is the stuff of classic pedophiles. She came on to him, he could feel a sexual tension in the air when he told her to take off her shirt, they kissed.
Her testimony, of course, is quite different.
But keep in mind this was all still in the days when a short skirt was considered (in court) enticement to rape.

The judge seems to have been acting very oddly, very irregularly. Neither the prosecutor nor the defense knew what he was doing, even though he made them promises in chamber.

So Polanski fled.

To me, it is very clear that Polanski needs to come back and plead his case in our legal system. Because he had pled guilty to statutory rape (even though what he did was worse), he may well not serve any more time. But the solution isn't for him to keep evading the law. And anyone defending what he did to that girl is twisted.

[tea anyone]

Sorry,
correction except should be accept.

[clarice]

I believe he also had sexual relations with Natasha Kinski when she was 15. Of course, her parents didn't mind so that's okey dokey.
(No wonder the cultural elite have so little problems with the notion of Islamic fundamentalism.)

[MayBee]

Yes, his affair with Natasha started when she was 15. Polanski liked girls.

[Largebill]

Once it was clear that he had drugged, raped and sodomized a 13 year old child his life should have been ended. There is no rehabilitation for someone that depraved.

Separately, I wonder how many who are defending this scumbag got all worked up condemning Michael Vick for dog fighting. Both offenses were awful, but one was doing stuff used to be accepted in our culture and harmed dogs. The other brutally raped and sodomized a child. It is inconceivable for one to be outraged by the offenses against and animal but indifferent to the crime against the child just because that crime was by an artist.

Sincerely,

One Angry Dad

[Ignatz]

--I think that sleeping with a 13-year old is repugnant--

Had he only slept with her it would have been somewhat repugnant. Forcibly raping her after drugging her goes somewhat beyond repugnant.

--but the guy has suffered enough--

I can assure you had he drugged and raped my or many other men's 13 year old daughters he would have suffered considerably more than he has.
Slitting his nose open with a switch blade would have been a nice start.

[boris]

sexual relations with Natasha Kinski when she was 15

Well the age of consent in Poland is 15. It is 16 in many states. IIRC some state or states tried to make it 14 for same sex relations.

[Extraneus]

You know, when people talk about how depraved it is for a man to like 13-year-old girls, this is getting into unrealistic territory. There is nothing unnatural about men feeling attracted to budding young women, and 13-year-old girls can be quite mature-looking, and attractive. The point is that it's illegal for grown men to have sex with them, and is not morally accepted in our society. If you do it, even in what you think is a "consensual" way, you're committing a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. (The crime Polanski copped to.) If the girl is asking you not to do it, or resisting in any way, the crime is worse than that: rape. (Real rape, Whoopi. Rape of a 13-year-old girl.)

Polanski not only did this exact thing, and not just vaginally, but he also fled justice, compounding his crime. If they can get him back here, he shouldn't be able to escape justice just because of the passage of so much time.

[MayBee]

What his affair with Kinsky shows is that he did, indeed, like teenagers. It is a counter against those who are trying to say Polanski didn't know this girl's age. He did.

Whether this particular girl was of the legal age of consent is neither here nor there. She didn't consent. She was drugged.

Polanski liked to have sex with teenagers and he knew this girl's age. Furthermore, he drugged her and anally penetrated her against her will, and he testified that she wanted him. That wouldn't be ok if she were 35.

[James H]

I don't read lefty sites but I imagine they aren't cheering child molestation but are saying Polanski got railroaded. They may be right. When a defendant and prosecution make a plea deal, it involves a specific sentence. Only the judge can impose the specified sentence so he has to go along with it. Normally courts do so in the interests of judicial economy since the system would grind to a halt if every defendant availed himself of all his procedural and substantive protections.

In Polanski's case, he made a plea deal which called for no prison time. The prosecution may have done that to spare the girl from testifying or out of sympathy for Polanski's Holocaust experience or out of regret for treating him as a suspect in the Mason murders. Anyway, the deal was 42 days of psychiatric evaluation which Polanski complied with. When the plea deal was presented to the court, the judge refused to go along. The judge accepted the guilty plea but set a sentencing date for a prison term and Polanski fled the country prior to that date.

Polanski's lawyers today are alleging prosecutorial or judicial misconduct due to the switch on the sentencing. We all assume Polanski is guilty because he pled guilty but he may very well win the right to withdraw the prior plea. If so, the DA would have to go to trial or make a new deal. If it goes to trial, they would have a hard time winning a conviction without the cooperation of the victim. There is a possibility that Polanski is acquitted and makes a triumphant return to Hollywood.

[Rob Crawford]

I don't read lefty sites but I imagine they aren't cheering child molestation but are saying Polanski got railroaded.

It's more 50/50. Lefties are having a hard time condemning his acts, and the "he was railroaded" line is their knee-jerk reflex WHENEVER someone on the left is found guilty.

We all assume Polanski is guilty because he pled guilty...

That and the facts of the case.

If it goes to trial, they would have a hard time winning a conviction without the cooperation of the victim.

Her testimony is already on record.

There is a possibility that Polanski is acquitted and makes a triumphant return to Hollywood.

Certainly. And in the process expose Hollywood for a depraved cesspool of elitists and wannabe-kings.

He broke the law and tried to avoid his punishment. Either he pays a penalty, or we admit this whole "equal before the law" idea is a wad of BS and get back to old fashioned might-makes-right.

[Porchlight]

It's possible he got railroaded. But in that case, why didn't his lawyers allege misconduct earlier? Did he need 30 years' intervening time on the lam, a respite cut short only by Switzerland's arrest, to make his case that he received unfair treatment in 1978? Seems more like he finally got caught and now they are trying the only avenue left open to him.

[Extraneus]

Seems there's a new thread on this captivating subject.

[MayBee]

James H-
In Polanski's case, he made a plea deal which called for no prison time.

Patterico.com explains to you how that is incorrect.

[boris]

Patterico's point is that the judge was only going to require the full 90 days plus deportation. IOW 48 more days beyond the 42 RP already completed and was promised would be enough.

All the fuss is about 48 more days?

Seems the major part of the "punishment" was banishment from the US, which RP took upon himself anyway. How credible is it that RP just wanted to avoid the extra days in jail? Or is it possible RP did not trust the judge to keep his "only 48 more days" promise?

[Rob Crawford]

How credible is it that RP just wanted to avoid the extra days in jail?

You'd have to ask him -- he skipped the sentencing.

[boris]

Or decided to skip the wrist slap and get on with the banishment. All the huff over the wrist slap seems ... either overblown or the Patterico version has some credibility problems. Just sayin ...