Polanski's Victim Will Appear in Court—to Support Him

'She's tired of this case,' lawyer says of Samantha Geimer
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 9, 2017 2:40 AM CDT
Polanski Victim to Appear in Court for First Time
Roman Polanski appears at the Cannes photo call for the film "Based On A True Story" last month.   (Alastair Grant)

The victim of Roman Polanski's sex assault 40 years ago is going to appeal directly to a judge to end the long-running case against the fugitive director, his lawyer says. Samantha Geimer, 13 at the time of the crime, has long supported Polanski's efforts to end the legal saga that limits his freedom, but Friday will be the first time she has appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on his behalf, attorney Harland Braun says. "She's tired of this case," Braun says. "The judge is just playing games with him." Polanski has been a fugitive since he fled to France in 1978 on the eve of sentencing for the crime of having unlawful sex with a minor. His lawyers have been fighting for years to end the case and lift an international arrest warrant.

Geimer has previously said she forgives Polanski for the assault that happened at Jack Nicholson's compound in the Hollywood Hills during a March 1977 photo shoot. Polanski plied her with champagne and part of a sedative pill before raping her, according to grand jury transcripts. Polanski contends he is the victim of judicial misconduct because the now-deceased judge who handled the case suggested in private remarks that he would not honor a plea bargain agreement. The hearing Friday is an effort by Braun to get the court to unseal testimony by the now-deceased prosecutor in the case, who is believed to have testified in a closed session about backroom sentencing discussions, the AP reports. (More Roman Polanski stories.)

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