Friday, April 23, 2010

Experts see Polanski extradition in coming months (AP)

GENEVA – Roman Polanski's loss of a crucial California probity preference sets up his lapse to a United States some-more than 3 decades after he fled a orthodox rape charge, Swiss authorised experts pronounced Friday.

However, they predicted months of offer authorised wrangling prior to extradition.

Caught up in a complexity as well as domestic sensitivity of a case, Switzerland has nonetheless to emanate a preference upon delivering a refugee Oscar-winning filmmaker to Los Angeles prosecutors scarcely 7 months after his arrest.

Swiss authorities have cited a saturated paperwork as well as pronounced they would wait for out a California court's examination of either Polanski could be condemned in absentia for carrying sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

But a U.S. probity rejected Polanski's sentencing request Thursday without an opinion. While his attorneys could still interest to a California Supreme Court, authorised experts saw little basement for Swiss authorities to reject handing over Polanski.

"Extradition is expected now," pronounced Dieter Jann, a former Zurich prosecutor. "Not much has changed, as well as Switzerland has a authorised requisite here."

The Swiss Justice Ministry pronounced Friday it wouldn't rush a preference given it still must receive as well as investigate a statute by a California 2nd District Court of Appeal. Polanski's lawyers have argued he shouldn't have to be present to be condemned upon a single equate of wrong passionate intercourse, saying he should be let off with time served.

Polanski's American attorneys have not outlined their subsequent step. On Friday, Polanski's longtime attorney, Douglas Dalton, issued a brief statement.

"The Court of Appeal decision yesterday did not con! firm a q uestion of extradition," he said. "The grave U.S. extradition request unquestionably contains a false sworn statement by Los Angeles prosecutors about Mr. Polanski's punishment that we have asked a United States Department of Justice as well as a Swiss authorities to investigate. The DA's Office has well known a loyal facts for over 30 years."

They were referring to a matter by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren in extradition papers submitted to a Swiss. Walgren settled that when a original hearing decider sent Polanski to jail for a 90-day "diagnostic evaluation" in 1977, Superior Court Judge Laurence J. Rittenband "told a parties, together with Mr. Polanski" that it would put a decider "in a improved position to reach a fair as well as only preference as to a judgment that he would finally as well as eventually impose..."

But a lawyers have pronounced in probity that was improper since all a parties knew a decider betrothed during a meeting in chambers that a 90-day investigate would constitute Polanski's entire sentence.

When he was released after 42 days, attorneys contend a decider reneged as well as longed for to impose a longer term as well as require Polanski to expatriate himself.

Informed of a invulnerability statement, district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons pronounced her bureau would not comment whilst a extradition matter is tentative in Switzerland.

Asked either a executive of "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown" as well as "The Pianist" would go upon to fight extradition, his French lawyer Herve Temime said, "I consider so," though declined to answer specific questions.

The Swiss arrested Polanski upon Sept. twenty-six upon a U.S. warrant as he arrived in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement endowment from a film festival. The Swiss detained him for over twin m! onths pr ior to moving him to house arrest upon $4.5 million bail at his chalet in a luxury resort of Gstaad.

Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli urged patience.

"We can't make a preference based upon media reports. We have to investigate a ruling," he told The Associated Press. He declined to contend in that direction Swiss authorities were leaning though pronounced "if it was viewable that he couldn't be extradited, we wouldn't have arrested him."

If a Swiss supervision in conclusion approves extradition, Polanski could still lodge probity appeals in Switzerland that would check his lapse to a United States for months.

Peter Cosandey, an additional former Swiss prosecutor, pronounced he expected a supervision preference soon, as well as that a extradition would expected be approved.

"Extradition is a rather grave procedure, as well as we look to see if a formalities have been met," he said. "I do not see most genuine arguments against. Statute of limitations won't work in a U.S., as well as he can't contend he wasn't there."

Still, sending Polanski at a back of to a U.S. is a difficult as well as diplomatically sensitive preference for a Swiss, as it deals with a 33-year-old box that includes accusations of indiscretion by a now-deceased Los Angeles judge, a confused sentencing procedure, a director's own moody from probity as well as a wishes of a victim — Samantha Geimer — who has asked that a box be dismissed.

There is additionally Polanski's standing as a informative icon in France as well as Poland, where he holds twin citizenship, as well as his history as a Holocaust survivor whose first mother was brutally murdered by demented supporters of cult personality Charles Manson in California.

Cosandey pronounced Polanski's extradition should remain a preference for probity authorities, even if there was some domestic grumbling in Switzerland. Foreign! Ministe r Micheline Calmy-Rey, for example, has noted a "lack of finesse" in how a arrest was handled.

"There competence be discussions at a back of a scenes, though even lawyers not involved in a box have been examination what's starting on," Cosandey said. "It won't be an patently ridiculous decision."

In a U.S., Polanski's attorneys have focused upon numerous instances of apparent misconduct in a 1970s box by a judge, as well as twin California courts have agreed without grouping an evidentiary hearing that could finalise a matter.

While a attorneys might try a identical approach in Switzerland, it seems unlikely that a Swiss supervision or appeals probity would venture to order upon U.S. judicial misconduct.

"These have been all arguments for a competent courts" in a United States, Cosandey said.

Still, a box could be behind for several months if it climbs all a approach to a Swiss Supreme Court, that intervenes upon "especially important" extradition disputes.

Polanski was primarily indicted of raping a lady after plying her with champagne as well as a Quaalude pill during a 1977 displaying shoot. He was indicted upon 6 felony counts, together with rape by use of drugs, kid seduction as well as sodomy, though he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of wrong passionate intercourse.

In exchange, a decider agreed to dump a superfluous charges as well as sent him to jail for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. The evaluator released Polanski after 42 days, though a decider pronounced he was starting to send him at a back of to offer out a superfluous time.

Polanski then fled a U.S. upon Feb. 1, 1978, a day he was to be rigourously sentenced. He has lived given in France, that does not extradite its citizens.

U.S. prosecutors right away contend Polanski could face up to twin years — as well as not 48 some-more days — in prison. The time length is important, since Switzerland cannot extradite him unless he faces a judgment longer than 6 m! onths.

Swiss officials contend final decisions upon extradition have been customarily reached within a year of a person's arrest.

It would be up to Los Angeles authorities to confirm if Polanski's jail time as well as house arrest can be deducted from a judgment he would have to offer in a United States.

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AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch in Los Angeles contributed to this report.



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