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Celebrity Justice
Polanski Lawyers Fight -- Chalet Jail a Possibility

Posted Sep 29th 2009 9:00AM by TMZ Staff

Roman PolanskiRoman Polanski's lawyers are angling to block any extradition attempt by asking a Swiss judge to release him from custody ...on grounds the move by U.S. law enforcement to haul him back was illegal.

Polanski is currently in a prison cell in Zurich, Switzerland. There's now talk that he could be placed on house arrest while lawyers fight it out. Here's the best part -- the house would be Polanski's Gstaad chalet .... nice work if you can get it.

Polanski fled the U.S. after pleading guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The judge in the case reneged on the plea agreement and that's when Roman beat a hasty retreat to France.

The decision on whether to free Polanski is expected to take weeks.

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Tags: arrest, prison, roman polanski, RomanPolanski, statuatory rape, StatuatoryRape, switzerland, zurich

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1. The sick man should still pay for what he did!

Posted at 9:12AM on Sep 29th 2009 by cilla78

2. Any man who would do that with a 13 year old girl should be put under the jail. He's already lived his life now...the justice system sucks. A poor excuse for a human being.

Posted at 9:17AM on Sep 29th 2009 by anonymous

3. How about house arrest spreading his cheeks for some dude named Tiny?

Posted at 9:16AM on Sep 29th 2009 by Fuggit

4. JUST TO BE CLEAR:
"Polanski fled the U.S. after pleading guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor."--RAPED A CHILD!
"...Roman beat a hasty retreat to France."--FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE!




Posted at 9:18AM on Sep 29th 2009 by STACEY

5. The misinformation bothers me. A deal was made between his lawyers and and the DA, that has nothing to do with the Judge. When you make a plea deal, you agree to plead guilty in exchange for a lenient sentencing recommendation from the DA. The judge can accept that, or sentence you to anything he wants to within the limits established. The judge did not renege on anything, he simply felt that the agreement reached by the lawyers was not strong enough considering the crime. He should face that sentence, as well as additional time for fleeing justice.

Posted at 9:31AM on Sep 29th 2009 by Big

6. He admitted in 1977 that he raped the girl so get him back to the USA and let him face the charges in court.

Posted at 11:10AM on Sep 29th 2009 by janicebyrne01

7. String him up!!!!

Posted at 9:32AM on Sep 29th 2009 by tkennedy

8. He raped a 13 yr old girl - he should do time - regardless of what happened to his beloved Tate, this man did a horrific crime, and should pay for his wrong and I don't mean pay as in money.

Posted at 9:42AM on Sep 29th 2009 by atabaw

9. In Europe it's perfectly acceptable, even common practice to drug and anally penetrate children.

Posted at 9:46AM on Sep 29th 2009 by JBallz

10. FREE Polanski !
Polanski's "victim", Samantha Geimer, long ago announced that she had forgiven the filmmaker for his transgressions and supported various efforts to have the case against him dismissed.
The original prosecution of Polanski was marred by all sorts of embarrassing missteps and strange behavior, largely by Laurence Rittenband, the original presiding judge.
You don't always plead guilty because you're guilty.

Posted at 9:45AM on Sep 29th 2009 by I Like Being Tragic

11. If all else fails, as a non-citizen and an admitted child rapist, he should be declared "persona non gratis" which would subject him to immediate deporting if he ever appears at a U.S. Port of Entry. He would be placed on the next means out of the country without any further legal proceedings.

Posted at 9:46AM on Sep 29th 2009 by RoRo

12. Sorry his wife was murdered, must have been horrible for him, but that is no reason to let him get away with a crime he admitted to just because it was so long ago? If anything he should be punished not only for the rape but for 30 years he eluded prosecution.

Posted at 9:48AM on Sep 29th 2009 by Pat

13. Obama's Health Care 'Horror Story' Inaccurate

President said a Texas woman about to have breast cancer surgery lost her health insurance because she didn't disclose a case of acne to the insurer. That's not what happened.

Lier, lier, pants on fire...he has been lying to America since he started his political life, he lies about his involvement w ACORN, radicals, birth certificate, etc...and America is still obsessed w him

Posted at 9:53AM on Sep 29th 2009 by Obama needs to be impeached

14. Roman will FRY for enternity once he meets his maker and tries to explain what he did and why he RAN AWAY. COWARD !!!! And Debra Winger YOU MAKE ME SICK standing up for him !!! Would you like it if he did what he did to your daughter at 13 years old ??

Posted at 10:02AM on Sep 29th 2009 by Nancy

15. "Polanski's "victim", Samantha Geimer, long ago announced that she had forgiven the filmmaker for his transgressions and supported various efforts to have the case against him dismissed."

She may be saying that now but she gave an interview in 2005.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15775812&method=full&siteid=115875&headline=exclusive--58--polanski-raped-me-when-i-was-13----he-is-a-creep-name_page.html

The fact is at 43 gave a 13yo girl alcohol repeatedly and then a "drug" to help her asthma. Then proceeded to have oral sex, intercourse, and anal sex. This man should be held accountable for his actions. Yet he fled to avoid punishment and has been living the good life in Europe. I feel so sorry for him that the evil Americans want to hold him accountable.

Posted at 10:09AM on Sep 29th 2009 by JTM

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