Support NeoGAF

[AuthenticM]

From CBC

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 said Thursday.

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's appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on his behalf, attorney Harland Braun said.

"She's tired of this case," Braun said. "The judge is just playing games with him."

...

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.

Braun wants to use the transcript to show Polanski has served his time so the international warrant is dropped. Braun also argues that Polanski served an additional 10 months under house arrest during a failed extradition effort from Switzerland in 2010.

Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee urged the court to reject Polanski's latest efforts, saying two previous Superior Court judges and an appeals court have ruled against him.

"The people implore this court to deny defendant's motions and to summarily deny any future request to re-litigate these issues absent a showing of new facts or a change in circumstance," Hanisee wrote.

...

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.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

So fucked up, but I'm guessing her thinking is that he can continue living abroad and nothing will happen to him, so why continue the case

 

[Trojita]

He didn't serve shit.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

The case can end whem that fuck is rotting behind bars where he belongs.

 

[Taramoor]

Every time it comes back up she gets tarred and feathered by a cadre of very public and outspoken people.

No surprise she just wants it to stop.

 

[crowphoenix]

Yeah. I don't know the right answer to this one. Obviously, Polanski is a piece of shit who needs to serve time for what he did, but If Geiner just wants to move on, I can understand that.

 

[Circle Jerk]

So fucked up, but I'm guessing her thinking is that he can continue living abroad and nothing will happen to him, so why continue the case

I mean you could also read the article

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's appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on his behalf, attorney Harland Braun said.... 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.

 

[Rumblebones]

I sympathise deeply with her, but this case is bigger than just one person.

 

[Slayven]

Every time it comes back up she gets tarred and feathered by a cadre of very public and outspoken people.

No surprise she just wants it to stop.

Sadly that is the case

 

[ahoyhoy]

I can understand how painful the whole experience must have been and continues to be for her, but the only way he should get to come home is either in bracelets or a coffin.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

I mean you could also read the article

I'm reading between the lines. You get raped as a child by someone famous and for 40 years he escapes justice, meanwhile you're shat on my people who respect him. You honestly can't see why that would possibly be tiring?

 

[littlebigman]

The Hollywood luminaries who jump to defend this guy and continue to applaud his movies are the reason I will never take anything they say seriously in any context, no matter how good they claim their intentions are.

 

[Garlador]

He can be forgiven... and still rot in jail.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The problem is that whether she thinks he should get off or not isn't relevant to whether he committed a crime and then ran away from it.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

I'm reading between the lines. You get raped as a child by someone famous and for 40 years he escapes justice, meanwhile you're shat on my people who respect him. You honestly can't see why that would possibly be tiring?

Well no, you're wrong then.

Read the whole case and you'll see why she wanted to drop it, and really I agree with her.

 

[ClosingADoor]

I can't believe this guy is still not returned to the US. Didn't he visit multiple countries in all those years, and they couldn't arrest him?

 

[HStallion]

Nic Cage is still confused to this day

 

[Patterbits]

I'm reading between the lines. You get raped as a child by someone famous and for 40 years he escapes justice, meanwhile you're shat on my people who respect him. You honestly can't see why that would possibly be tiring?

Idk she did a reddit AMA not too long ago and she seems like she legitimately forgives him.

 

[riotous]

To drop the case would be to ignore their duties however unfortunate that may be for the victim.

 

[Flying Toaster]

The problem is that whether she thinks he should get off or not isn't relevant to whether he committed a crime and then ran away from it.

This is where I stand on the situation. I feel for her but this is on him.

 

[Circle Jerk]

I'm reading between the lines. You get raped as a child by someone famous and for 40 years he escapes justice, meanwhile you're shat on my people who respect him. You honestly can't see why that would possibly be tiring?

yea why listen to the victim when you can just read between the lines and figure out what they actually mean

 

[FlutterPuffs]

Idk she did a reddit AMA not too long ago and she seems like she legitimately forgives him.

Pretty much.

But yeah, people can continue 'reading between the lines' when she has stated time and time again why the law has failed both her and Polanski.

 

[m_dorian]

Polanski is scum but i love his Pirates.

 

[finowns]

Well no, you're wrong then.

Read the whole case and you'll see why she wanted to drop it, and really I agree with her.

Why do you agree it should be dropped?

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Well no, you're wrong then.

Read the whole case and you'll see why she wanted to drop it, and really I agree with her.

Idk she did a reddit AMA not too long ago and she seems like she legitimately forgives him.

I'm not denying what she said. Obviously she knows her feelings on the matter better than anyone and it's the only one that matters, I'm just saying being a victim and seeing your victimizer effectively escape justice (even though he was on house arrest, couldn't return to the US, etc) must wear on a person.

I wasn't trying to claim her reasoning wasn't how she truly felt, if that's how it came off

 

[thecouncil]

The Hollywood luminaries who jump to defend this guy and continue to applaud his movies are the reason I will never take anything they say seriously in any context, no matter how good they claim their intentions are.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

Why do you agree it should be dropped?

Because she's the victim of the crime.

I have no love for Polanski, in fact I despised him for what he did and avoid his movies (except for one which I watched because I didn't realise he was the director, woops).

Not to mention she made some good points why she believes the justice system failed her in this case.

 

[Garlador]

Because she's the victim of the crime.

I have no love for Polanski, in fact I despised him for what he did and avoid his movies (except for one which I watched because I didn't realise he was the director, woops).

Not to mention she made some good points why she believes the justice system failed her in this case.

In not sure I agree. Ever.

Just as I know a woman who wanted to drop charges against the man who beat her into a hospital, just as I know a mother who pleaded with a judge to let her rapist husband return to the kids he violated, just as a family whose daughter was run over by a drunk idiot wanted him to be set free because they forgave him...

... Law and Justice should be immutable. Unbiased. And blind.

The courts failed many, but that doesn't mean we give up on justice. The only way it works is if the punishment fits the crime, and Polanski violated a child.

She grew up. She tried to move on. He ran away. For all his alienation, he didn't come close to the punishment he deserves.

 

[Blader]

I'm not denying what she said. Obviously she knows her feelings on the matter better than anyone and it's the only one that matters, I'm just saying being a victim and seeing your victimizer effectively escape justice (even though he was on house arrest, couldn't return to the US, etc) must wear on a person.

I wasn't trying to claim her reasoning wasn't how she truly felt, if that's how it came off

This is probably true for many sexual assault survivors, but in Geiner's case, she has said for years that she forgives him, has moved on, and would want him to be able to live in the U.S. again.

 

[sangreal]

Because she's the victim of the crime.

That's not how the US criminal justice system works


If he gave her some cash instead of waiting 40 years should that also get him off because the victim said okay? No -- The people have a right and obligation to enforce the laws he broke even if the victim doesn't care

 

[Toxi]

The problem is that whether she thinks he should get off or not isn't relevant to whether he committed a crime and then ran away from it.

.

 

[Trojita]

The Justice System is setup to bring justice for a victim even if they don't have the capacity to seek it themselves.

 

[Ganhyun]

The Justice System is setup to bring justice for a victim even if they don't have the capacity to seek it themselves.

This.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Nic Cage is still confused to this day

Nic Cage's confused reaction is still hilarious to this day.

 

[DOWN]

I appreciate her input but this is bigger than her. A criminal rapist shouldn't be off the hook just because he lived lavishly while exiled for a long ass time

 

[Bread]

Nic Cage's confused reaction is still hilarious to this day.

"is he here?!"

 

[strafer]

You don't see Cage at the Oscars these days anymore.

 

[FlutterPuffs]

In not sure I agree. Ever.

Just as I know a woman who wanted to drop charges against the man who beat her into a hospital, just as I know a mother who pleaded with a judge to let her rapist husband return to the kids he violated, just as a family whose daughter was run over by a drunk idiot wanted him to be set free because they forgave him...

... Law and Justice should be immutable. Unbiased. And blind.

The courts failed many, but that doesn't mean we give up on justice. The only way it works is if the punishment fits the crime, and Polanski violated a child.

She grew up. She tried to move on. He ran away. For all his alienation, he didn't come close to the punishment he deserves.

You have a good point. I'm not going to argue against that to be honest.

I just disagree with this case because she entered a plea bargain but the judge backtracked on it. This has lead to her being into the public eye for most of her life, and hounded by paparazzi etc. She has suffered a lot.

I feel for her, she clearly wants it to get dropped so she can get on with her life. It's her suffering that I care about so I support her appeal.

 

[CHC]

Miserable piece of shit. Pathetic how Hollywood minimizes his absolutely vile deeds. Since he'll never be put in jail for any of this I guess I can only hope that he croaks soon, slowly, and in a state of fear, regret and misery.

That said I completely understand why the victim would want to drop this. Living most of your life in a legal battle can really define how you think of yourself and no one should blame her for wanting to just move on, especially now given how old Polanski is and how unlikely anything material coming out of this seems.

 

[BigAT]

Just a reminder on what Polanski did:

Geimer testified that Polanski provided champagne that they shared as well as part of a quaalude, and despite her protests, he performed oral, vaginal, and anal sex acts upon her, each time after being told 'no' and being asked to stop.

To a 13 year old. Fuck that guy, now and forever.

 

[finowns]

Because she's the victim of the crime.

I have no love for Polanski, in fact I despised him for what he did and avoid his movies (except for one which I watched because I didn't realise he was the director, woops).

Not to mention she made some good points why she believes the justice system failed her in this case.

I wasn't questioning your feelings for Polanski, I have no problem watching his movies -- anyone remember his cameo in Rush Hour 3 where he, I assume, cavity searched Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.. kinda of weird considering his history.

IIRC, he also disobeyed the court and fled the country.

 

[CREMSteve]

Forgiveness from the victim shouldn't mean you get to avoid punishment for doing the crime, imo.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

So fucked up, but I'm guessing her thinking is that he can continue living abroad and nothing will happen to him, so why continue the case

I think it's more she's tired of people dredging it up repeatedly.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I sympathise deeply with her, but this case is bigger than just one person.

This is what it comes down to.

 

[border]

If she wants the charges dropped, then let them end this saga.

 

[DeathyBoy]

This is what it comes down to.

He's not going to come back to the States willingly, they won't extradite him, and he won a ducking Oscar.

Dude has long since voided any kind of justice that could have been had, and while he should rot in jail at this point it's a circus at best, and if he's not actually going to serve time what's the point of dragging this poor woman through the flames again

 

[Violet_0]

he was convicted and fled, it might sound a bit harsh but I don't see how what the victim thinks of the case now is relevant