Polanski Victim: Give Him Time Served

(AP)  The attorney for the victim in Roman Polanski's 32-year-old sex case on Wednesday joined his lawyers' bid to have the director sentenced in absentia.

On behalf of the victim, Samantha Geimer, attorney Lawrence Silver supported another motion by Polanski's lawyers urging he be sentenced to time served. He faxed to lawyers in the case a motion he planned to file Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, which was closed Wednesday.

The move follows a motion filed last month by Polanski's lawyers, who argued he should be sentenced in absentia.

The director was arrested Sept. 26 in Switzerland and is currently under house arrest at his chalet as Swiss authorities weigh whether to extradite him to the United States.

At issue is whether Polanski served a proper sentence. The judge at the time, Laurence Rittenband, sent the director for a diagnostic study at a California prison where he served 42 days.

In a new revelation, Silver wrote in his legal filing that he witnessed Rittenband say in his chambers that no other incarceration would be imposed, only to then renege on his promise and threaten to send Polanski to an indeterminate prison sentence. Polanski fled the country soon after.

Silver also accused prosecutors of violating the California constitution when they failed to tell Geimer of their plans to seek Polanski's extradition to the U.S.

Geimer was 13 when she met Polanski for a modeling shoot in Los Angeles in 1977. Polanski, the 76-year-old director of "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby," was accused of plying the teen with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill, then raping her during a modeling shoot.

He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy. He later pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

[Keith Geddes]

30 years ago plus... Polanski was sure his deal was going to be reneaged on..I`m not sure I blame him. There was a settlement made..
What he did at the time.. can we still judge NOW. He has lived in exile, may have lived to the standard hes been used to BUT.. its been over his head. I cant forget what happened in his life, and suffered, if people like to forget that.. shame. Deranged people shattered his life.. they killed people attached to him.. who could recover from that. Look it all up. Some still want their pound of flesh.. has he suffered enough? The victim wants to carry on with her life WITHOUT this over her head too.. how many OTHER girls `suffered` a casting couch? Huh? Isnt that what it comes down to?

[averjane]

There must be some money involved if even the victim in the case doesn't want to push for prison time. Forty two days is nothing considering he molested a 13 year old child. If that's the case, then you would have no grounds to proscecute any other pedophils or rapists of our young.

[jimmyc1955]

This isn't about her, unfortunate as her situation was.

It is about Polanski evading the sentance he was given. It is about violating the law a second time, fleeing the country when he was to report to jail.

Mr. Polanski pleaded guilty and was sentenced. Hw then fled to avoid jail. It is fleeing he is guilty of - and the original sentence.

Sorry - celebrity should not be a free pass from jail. Making a few entertaining movies does not give individuals license to be absolved to criminal behavior.

The rich and famous are always using public status to justify their acts - sorry Roman - you should not pass go, you should not collect $200 dollars - you should go straight to jail.

[cidaia]

You have to wonder what sort of pressure makes a rape victim intervene on behalf of the man who raped her.

I think perhaps the girl is the one who has served the sentence.

But, unfortunately, if we listen to that sort of logic, then rapists everywhere will know that all they have to do to go free is promise to make the victims' lives a living hell if the victim doesn't drop the charges. This is especially problematic when we're looking at crimes against minors.