WI: Roman Polanski stands Trial

He wouldn't be doing time with those guys. There would be endless appeals and campaigns by other stars to get him something more to his liking.

I wouldn't be surprised if he wound up with probation and house arrest after a few years.

And there would be campaigns by even more numerous voters who don't want him doing anything other than hard time. Superior Court Justices are elected in California Appellate Court Justices are selected by the governor for set terms. A judge that wants to be elected or reappointed can't go THAT far away from public opinion.
 
And there would be campaigns by even more numerous voters who don't want him doing anything other than hard time. Superior Court Justices are elected in California Appellate Court Justices are selected by the governor for set terms. A judge that wants to be elected or reappointed can't go THAT far away from public opinion.

The thing is though outside of Polanski's Hollywood and political friends public opinion has mostly been against him. If a judge gives him a light sentence then their opponents will be able to use that as ammunition in the next election, "He let off a paedophile because he was rich and famous" would make a pretty good attack add.
 
The thing is though outside of Polanski's Hollywood and political friends public opinion has mostly been against him. If a judge gives him a light sentence then their opponents will be able to use that as ammunition in the next election, "He let off a paedophile because he was rich and famous" would make a pretty good attack add.

That was my point.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen: I said he'd be in seg (segregation). Means separated from those in prison who'd like a shot at him......if Polanski did time (and there was no guarantee the judge wasn't going to honor the agreement, just the Perv's perception), he'd do it like Loren - local prison and redecorate while he was there - and no roommates.
 
Even if he isn't killed by the inmates the seriousness of the charges and the fact we are talking about Texas ...

Texas???

Polanski was in California; the crime was committed in Jack Nicholson's house. He was convicted in a California court, and was to be sentenced to a California prison (California Institution for Men at Chino).

Texas had nothing to do with it.
 
Texas???

Polanski was in California; the crime was committed in Jack Nicholson's house. He was convicted in a California court, and was to be sentenced to a California prison (California Institution for Men at Chino).

Texas had nothing to do with it.

I did admit earlier so let it go. I let an earlier post mix me up, it happens.
 
What kind of legal defense could Polanski's attorneys use, giving that he was guilty. Would they use a temporary insanity defense, or would they just victim blame?
 

EMTSATX

Banned
I really don't know a lot about the case just a few questions. Obviously, a child can never give any sort of consent, however did the victim come forward? I was under the impression it was the victim's Mother who was pressing the issue in sort of blackmail type situation.

Also, in the mid to late '70's was the whole thing that prison a joke? Sort of a the inmates running the asylum situation? While I understand that this case had nothing to do with Texas, even in that State people were getting parole for things like murder (for example Duane "the Dog" Chapman, you know the Bounty Hunter.) That prison was a joke during this time frame. So would he not have a rather short stay? I am sure he could have bought protection? I know nothing about the penal situation in California at that time (I watch the TV shows the gun line at San Quentin and what a hell hole pelican bay and Chino are.) However, I have always thought of that time as a "joke" in the history of prison's in the US. Maybe I am very wrong.

For the record my Father is a Judge in West Virginia. I never wanted to follow him into a legal career. I don't want to minimize any crime or anyone's experience. To me, rape and the rape of a child is the most serious of crimes and should be capital crimes on par with murder. If you do not believe in the death penalty then those crimes should be punished at the highest possible level. I abhor to the very center of my being rape or the rape of a child.

As I said I am not super informed of this particular case (indeed, I mainly know him as Sharon Tate's Husband). My main question would be why has France or Switzerland not deported him back to the United States? What possible reason could they have? Why are they not honoring a warrant?
 
As I said I am not super informed of this particular case (indeed, I mainly know him as Sharon Tate's Husband). My main question would be why has France or Switzerland not deported him back to the United States? What possible reason could they have? Why are they not honoring a warrant?
France doesn't deport its own citizens unless they are convicted and then only sometimes.

If they are convicted they may be imprisoned within France to serve their sentence. They will also prosecute their own citizens for crimes committed in another jurisdiction if the jurisdiction requests it.

Switzerland chose not to extradite him because American prosecutors refused to deliver a transcript of a court hearing on a given date that Polanski claimed had a judge giving his word that a plea bargain would be accepted.

There was no request that France should prosecute Polanski in France for the Californian charges.
 
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I really don't know a lot about the case just a few questions. Obviously, a child can never give any sort of consent, however did the victim come forward? I was under the impression it was the victim's Mother who was pressing the issue in sort of blackmail type situation.

Also, in the mid to late '70's was the whole thing that prison a joke? Sort of a the inmates running the asylum situation? While I understand that this case had nothing to do with Texas, even in that State people were getting parole for things like murder (for example Duane "the Dog" Chapman, you know the Bounty Hunter.) That prison was a joke during this time frame. So would he not have a rather short stay? I am sure he could have bought protection? I know nothing about the penal situation in California at that time (I watch the TV shows the gun line at San Quentin and what a hell hole pelican bay and Chino are.) However, I have always thought of that time as a "joke" in the history of prison's in the US. Maybe I am very wrong.

For the record my Father is a Judge in West Virginia. I never wanted to follow him into a legal career. I don't want to minimize any crime or anyone's experience. To me, rape and the rape of a child is the most serious of crimes and should be capital crimes on par with murder. If you do not believe in the death penalty then those crimes should be punished at the highest possible level. I abhor to the very center of my being rape or the rape of a child.

As I said I am not super informed of this particular case (indeed, I mainly know him as Sharon Tate's Husband). My main question would be why has France or Switzerland not deported him back to the United States? What possible reason could they have? Why are they not honoring a warrant?
What happened was that the victim's sister overheard her talking to an ex boyfriend on the phone about what happened and after that the victim's mother called the police and reported the rape.
 
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Perhaps Polanski would have been kept in isolation, but <ahem> procedural mistakes do happen, so it's not unlikely that had he been imprisoned, Polanski's life expectancy would probably have been relatively short. Apart from a few, his <ahem> accidental demise would not have been deemed much of a loss. As it is, he's not missed and is remembered only for his reprehensible crime and the fact that he can never set foot in the US and remain free for life.
 

Insider

Banned
Anyway a world is a little more just place. I would find little sympathy to him had he suffered from violence of his fellow convicts.
 
He could use his money and influence to get out of bars... But considering the massive scandal that might cause, the judge may at least put him behind bars for 25 years to avoid panic.

Once inside, it all depends wether or not they isolate him. Otherwise, expect him to be dead in a few years, or at least get a taste of his own medicine as so often occurs in jails down here, where child molesters basically get assaulted on a nearly daily basis, only kept alive to serve as the "bottom bitches" of the prison...

That said, there's still the possibility he could use his influences to get out of prison early. That also happens down here often.
 
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