Los Angeles - Roman Polanski's legal team
has launched a new bid to resolve the movie director's 1977 rape
case and allow him to return to the United States without
serving any more jail time.
Harland Braun, the Los Angeles attorney for the
Oscar-winning director, said on Thursday that Polanski wishes to
be able to travel freely and to visit the grave of his wife,
Sharon Tate, who was murdered in Los Angeles by followers of
Charles Manson in 1969.
Braun said he had written to the judge in Polanski's
California case and a February 24 hearing has been set.
The case of French-Polish Polanski, 83, remains a cause
celebre after four decades. He pleaded guilty in Los Angeles in
1977 to having sex with a 13-year-old girl and served 42 days in
jail after a plea bargain, but later fled the United States,
fearing a lengthy jail sentence if the agreement was overruled.
Both Poland and Switzerland have overruled U.S. requests for
Polanski's extradition in the past seven years.
Braun has now asked Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott
Gordon to unseal testimony from the prosecutor in the 1977 case.
The unsealed testimony, along decisions in Poland and
Switzerland, should establish that Polanski did cut a deal in
1977 and that he owes no more time in custody, Braun said.
"Between the Swiss court decision and the Polish decision
... it has now been judicially determined that Roman owes no
more custody time. Therefore, if the Los Angeles District
Attorney and Court recognize these decisions as they should, he
can return to LA to conclude the case without fear of being
thrown in jail," Braun said.
Samantha Geimer, the victim in the case, has long made clear
she believes Polanski's self-imposed exile has been punishment
enough.
Polanski's movie career has flourished despite the rape case
hanging over him. In 2002, he won an Oscar for directing the
Holocaust film "The Pianist" but did not travel to the United
States to collect it.
Last month, however, he withdrew from heading the jury at
France's Cesar film awards, the country's equivalent of the
Oscars, after an outcry from women's groups over what they said
was France's "scandalous protection" of Polanski.