Polanski loses first round in extradition battle

Wednesday 07th October, 05:42 AM JST

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Cos at 08:04 PM JST - 7th October

***They certainly had many chances to arrest him before, so why now?

Have you ever been to Swiss ? I went there from France hundreds of time, I just passed the border in a car, on a bicycle or walking, nobody asked me anything. In years, they checked my identity 2 or 3 times in total. Same for everybody.

This time, that was different for Polanski because he was going to attend an event announced in media. If (and they surely did)the US authorities gave a call to Swiss ones, they couldn't say "We don't know when he arrives and where...". At least, they didn't get him on the festival stage in front of cameras.

Then, the US justice has more actively researched him since the recent interventions of his lawyers. Last year, he sent them to tell the judges roughly : "You'll never have the balls to come to arrest me.". He got what he asked for.

I find his druging and raping the girl was a serious crime, but that's not my job to judge of the circumstances. OTOH, he used his celebrity and money to run away from the justice of a democratic country. That's a public matter. Especially when the guy and his friend come to speak in media to teach others about politics, democracy, justice, etc. They said that US and Swiss cops are like the Nazi that arrested Polanski's family. That's really indecent. That's even insulting for all the innocent persons victims of the Nazi regimes to compare them with a pedophile that refuses to face his trial.
presto345 at 09:39 PM JST - 7th October

Once in jail, I hope he gets sodomized himself

You can hope what you want, but vindictiveness gets you nowhere. And it certainly does not even come close to any kind of justice.
ChrisBiggins at 10:02 PM JST - 7th October

I did not actually realise how beastly this attack was until recently. How people can defend this ghastly man is beyond me.

I hope he serves some hard time in America, the dirty bleeder deserves it, nasty, nasty, nasty!!!
usaexpat at 11:31 PM JST - 7th October

After 30 years they decide to arrest him, absolutely rediculous. His victim has said he doesn't belong in jail, as far as we know he hasn't ever done it again and he has lived in plain site for years. I smell a DA who wants to make a name for himself just like Sneddon who tried to take down Michael Jackson. I certainly don't approve of his behavior but after this many years there is something else going on here.
Triumvere at 01:27 AM JST - 8th October

One of the lawyers, Herve Temime, added that Polanski did not pose a flight risk.

How does that saying go again? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...
sabiwabi at 07:41 AM JST - 8th October

However, since you rarely comment on discussions that do not pertain to Jews, it certainly stands as likely that his religion and or the fact that someone in his family died in the Nazi camps features heavily in your desire to comment.

BS, I comment on many different subjects. But for some reason, you seem to come whining every time it involves someone who happens to be Jewish and you paste the same list of statements about Jews that you claim (in many cases falsely) that I have made in the past YEARS.

As for the kosher tax, it seems you still did not get my post.

Moderator: All readers back on topic please.
sabiwabi at 07:48 AM JST - 8th October

I certainly don't approve of his behavior but after this many years there is something else going on here.

I too suspect there might be something else. Things are not always what they seem. It might be because of his next film, The Ghost.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/artsandentertainment/film/article6856134.ece

One of next year’s most eagerly anticipated films, a star-studded thriller featuring a thinly disguised version of Tony Blair, is in jeopardy because of the arrest of Roman Polanski.

Sources on the production of The Ghost, about a British prime minister facing indictment for war crimes...

The Ghost follows the story of a ghost writer, played by Ewan McGregor, whose research into the former British leader, thought to be modelled on Mr Blair, for his memoirs leads to dangerous revelations

Maybe some people are worried about that movie coming out.
kinniku at 08:41 AM JST - 8th October

sabiwabi,

You are again being ridiculous. It obviously has nothing to do with Polanski's movie. He knowing drugged and forced a minor to have sex. He was arrested when he was known to be in Switzerland. That you would make up conspiracies even here when it is obviously a very good thing he was arrested just shows how deep your slip from reality has taken you. BTW, please provide even one false quote that you claim I have provided of yours. Of course, you will not be able to as I also always provide the correct date of your posts in which your statements about Jews can be found. Lastly, I 'get' your kosher tax comment, just fine. You were plainly and again incorrectly blaming Jews for the 'higher prices' of products.

It might be because of his next film, The Ghost.

Again, yeah, it could never be about the international arrest warrant since 2005 or the fact that he knowingly drugged and forced a minor to have sex. If you truly think that what it might be about. You really need to get out of your room every once in a while.
sabiwabi at 08:57 AM JST - 8th October

Again, yeah, it could never be about the international arrest warrant since 2005 or the fact that he knowingly drugged and forced a minor to have sex.

Hey, I've said from the start that he should be arrested and deserves punishment. I am just wondering why now? The guy has a residence in Switzerland, I assume he goes there from time to time. Why did they wait until 2005 to issue this warrant?

I think there MIGHT be a conspiracy, while you are always so absolutely 100% sure there never is one (e.g., that the current financial problems are due to honest mistakes).
kinniku at 09:11 AM JST - 8th October

I am just wondering why now?

I am just wondering why you wonder about things instead of thinking about them. The facts are right in front of you. If you want to know why he wasn't arrested in France all this time, join the club or ask the government of France why they harbored him. Yes, I know he is a citizen, however considering the crime, one would think France and the French people would have wanted him to face trial. It seems they did not.

The guy has a residence in Switzerland, I assume he goes there from time to time. Why did they wait until 2005 to issue this warrant?

You assume. You suspect. You imagine. You concoct. The US has wanted him from the beginning. It was an international arrest warrant in 2005, not a US one. The Swiss knew he would be in the country and they arrested him. Do you have proof they knew of previous visits? Nope, you do not. If you did you would have already shared them with us.

I think there MIGHT be a conspiracy,

Heh, you missed typing a word: You always think there might be a conspiracy. BTW, I never said the current financial problems were only due to honest mistakes. I merely said they had absolutely nothing to do with a Jewish/Mossad/Israeli/ blah, blah,blah conspiracy.
sabiwabi at 11:33 AM JST - 8th October

The US has wanted him from the beginning. It was an international arrest warrant in 2005, not a US one.

Yes, but my question was why 2005. The crime happened a very long time before that.

Hey, it could very well be a coincidence that, after decades of living freely in Europe, he got arrested while he was putting the finishing touch on a movie about Blair facing war crime charges. Or it might not be a coincidence, I just raised the possibility. Just like I mentioned a while back that I thought the moon-landing MIGHT have been faked, which you constantly misrepresent as my stating that they WERE faked.

I still don’t see how you can always be 100% sure of things regardless of the evidence, it seems you go with whatever happens to suit you and your friends.

Moderator: Stay on topic please. References to the moon landing and the movie about Blair are not relevant to this discussion.
kinniku at 12:21 PM JST - 8th October

Yes, but my question was why 2005. The crime happened a very long time before that.

Possibly because the US could not get international agreement on it. Have you even attempted to research the process behind the warrant. No, why do that when you can instead, as you always seem to do, immediately jump to the silly conclusion that there is a conspiracy.

You do represent your opinions on your fantastic conspiracies as fact and you often claim that others are blind to these 'facts'. This is true about pretty much any of your ridiculous claims that always end up proving to be incorrect on close examination.

I still don’t see how you can always be 100% sure of things regardless of the evidence

Don't you get it? You haven't provided any evidence. You have merely provided another one of your fantastically unrealistic conspiracies to throw on the pile of the tons of others you have provided over the years. It is quite easy to be 100% or pretty close to 100% sure that you are mistaken when you consistently are unable to provide solid, clear, provable and specific evidence to back up your conspiracies.

it seems you go with whatever happens to suit you and your friends.

Please. I am very consistent. I am glad he has been arrested. I would have been glad had he been arrested years ago. You cannot even back up this very ridiculous statement.
kinniku at 03:37 PM JST - 8th October

It seems you're responding to posts without even reading them.

Ummm...yes, I read your posts quite carefully. Have you? I don't think you have. Let's see, shall we?

it could very well be a coincidence that, after decades of living freely in Europe,

Was he living freely in Switzerland? If you don't know, have no proof whatsoever, or if the answer is 'no', then your sentence makes no sense because that is where he got arrested. Was there an arrest warrant for him in France all these years? The answer is no.

You are constantly raising the possibility of such fantastically unrealistic conspiracies and if someone dare say something against your 'theories', they get called a 'shill', a member of a criminal syndicate or some such name. Hardly the attitude of someone who is just raising possibilities. Rather, it sounds exactly like someone who is completely married to their conspiracies.

Maybe I will look into it a little more.

LOL! Maybe you should consider doing that first for a change!

The bottom line is that I have been completely consistent in my feeling that it is a good thing that Polanski was arrested and will face a trial. You only feel that way as long as it doesn't bang into a conspiracy you have cooked up. Then, it is 'why now of all times!" LOL! At least you are consistent in your inconsistency.
Noliving at 07:13 AM JST - 9th October

In the past several months to years, he and his lawyers have been trying to get this case dropped on the grounds that the trial was flawed and that the judge did not rule fairly in that he, the judge, renegade on a plea bargain and so he fled to france.
sfjp330 at 09:01 AM JST - 9th October

US justice has more actively researched him since the recent interventions of his lawyers. Last year, he sent them to tell the judges roughly : "You'll never have the balls to come to arrest me.". He got what he asked for.

What a dumb move by Polanski and his lawyers. Since he's already old, if he kept quiet and stay low profile, he could've continued a comfortable, rich life in France. Now, California here I come and face the consequences.