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Roman Polanski Arrested In Switzerland On 1978 U.S. Arrest Warrant
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 27, 2009
Modified Sep 27, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 27, 2009
Modified Sep 27, 2009
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Film director Roman Polanski, who fled the U.S. in 1978 after being convicted of raping a 13-year-old, was arrested in Switzerland, where he was scheduled to receive an award at the Zurich Film Festival. The 76-year-old was taken into custody at his hotel.
According to the NY Times, Polanski, who directed Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist (for which he won an Oscar), "is being held in provisional detention in preparation for a possible extradition to the United States." The LA Times reports that the LA County DA's office "learned last week that Polanski had plans to travel to Zurich this weekend... Prosecutors sent a provisional arrest warrant to the U.S. Justice Department, which presented it to Swiss authorities. On at least two previous occasions, the district attorney’s office has received reports that Polanski had travel arrangements to countries with extradition treaties with the U.S. and prepared paperwork for his arrest," but Polanski would apparently find out and not travel.
The Smoking Gun has the "harrowing 1977 grand jury testimony of the 13-year-old California girl with whom the director had sex after plying her with Champagne and a Quaalude at the Los Angeles home of Jack Nicholson," noting, "At one point, according to Gailey's testimony, Polanski asked the 13-year-old if she was 'on the pill,' and 'When did you last have your period?'" However, Gailey, now Samantha Geimer, has asked for the charges to be dropped, as have Polanski's lawyers who cited possible misconduct by the LA DA's office and court.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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