Breaking: Polanski gets bail from Swiss court
posted at 10:59 am on November 25, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Looks like Roman Polanski has something to celebrate at Thanksgiving. A Swiss court accepted his plea offer of €3 million (roughly $4.5 million) and house arrest with electronic monitoring at his Swiss chalet. The Swiss government is expected to appeal:
A Swiss court has accepted film-maker Roman Polanski’s plea to be freed on bail from a Swiss jail where he is being held for a US child sex case.
Polanski has been wanted in the US since fleeing the country in 1978 after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex a year earlier with a 13-year-old girl. …
While on bail, Polanski would have to be kept under house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Swiss chalet, according to Associated Press news agency.
The ruling is not thought to affect the Swiss government’s ongoing assessment of whether it should extradite Polanski to the US.
Well, except for the fact that Polanski will skip on his bail before getting extradited. He’s been on the run for 30 years on a charge on which he’s already admitted guilt in court. What idiot expects him to stay in Switzerland once let out of prison?
By the way, it’s worth noting that today is November 25th — the last day that the US had to execute a new, formal extradition request. Have we done so? Could the bail issue be related to a failure to comply?
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
Sick.
Abby Adams on November 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
His time will come.
Sharke on November 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Oh, Dear Lord. He’s gonna run like a scalded dog. He’ll flee to South America like Dr. Mengele.
kingsjester on November 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
If he skips, I want Dog the Bounty Hunter to spray him in the face with some Mace Foam.
Nethicus on November 25, 2009 at 11:04 AM
so hes not gonna end up being sodomized by his new boyfriends after all?… hmm interesting.
moonbatkiller on November 25, 2009 at 11:04 AM
I didn’t know Switzerland was in D.C.
Coronagold on November 25, 2009 at 11:05 AM
I can’t help but wonder if they waited until a very liberal Democrat was in office before arresting Polanski.
If the US fails to ask for extradition this time, it will be much harder, if not impossible to arrest Polanski on this charge ever again.
MarkTheGreat on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Lock up your daughters all you Swisses….Roman candle is on the loose…
hawkman on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Eric Holder’s Swiss Cousin, Herr Pookie Holder.
highhopes on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM
As it should be. He’s one of our betters, and it’s not like it was rape rape.
rogerb on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Polanski, child rapist, gets bail from Swiss court.
headline was lacking the proper modifier, fify
Daveyardbird on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM
See?
It wasn’t child rape-child rape.
/Whoopi
Good Lt on November 25, 2009 at 11:07 AM
New rule: If someone flees justice, he is free game for anyone. No rules, no regulations. Do anything you want to them.
Holger on November 25, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Karma…it’s a comin’ ’round the mountain.
SouthernGent on November 25, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Oh hell.
4shoes on November 25, 2009 at 11:07 AM
In a word…douchebag.
I smell an under-the-table, unofficial pardon in the works.
wildweasel on November 25, 2009 at 11:08 AM
grrr
becki51758 on November 25, 2009 at 11:08 AM
I guess they waited until the publicity to die down before doing this.
Oh well, we let Specter out during his trial, too.
AnninCA on November 25, 2009 at 11:09 AM
It’s the new season of The Running Man, with Roman Polanski as our star runner! YES!
teke184 on November 25, 2009 at 11:09 AM
So is AG Holder too busy with his lamebrained pursuit of “justice” for KSM to bother with the extradition of Polanski?
jwolf on November 25, 2009 at 11:10 AM
He should get the “Horse” treatment.
PappaMac on November 25, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Who’s surprised . . . he’s a rich celebrity piece of trash and history tells us they can literally get away with murder.
rplat on November 25, 2009 at 11:11 AM
The filing for extradition, is that a state deal or a federal deal?
Cindy Munford on November 25, 2009 at 11:11 AM
So a rich celebrity got bail. What exactly are we shocked at?
sammypants on November 25, 2009 at 11:12 AM
You know it!!
PappaMac on November 25, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Since Switzerland is about 6 hours ahead of the East Coast it looks like they probably did not file a new extradition request which is most likely why the Court granted his request for a bond. Its reprehensible that they did so and its reprehensible if we didn’t get a new request for extradition in in time to stop this.
Unbelievable that this schmuck will get away with it cause he’s an artiste you know.
skatz51 on November 25, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Have they made him an honorary Kennedy yet?
LibTired on November 25, 2009 at 11:13 AM
You know, vigilantism is starting to look really good about now.
javamartini on November 25, 2009 at 11:16 AM
He’s not coming back, you watch.
Narutoboy on November 25, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Oh c’mon you guys, it’ll be Ok. I mean it’s not like he’s skipped bail before or anything.
Oldnuke on November 25, 2009 at 11:17 AM
E. Holder: “Who is this Polanski person?”
BobMbx on November 25, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Does France extradite to Switzerland?
Chris_Balsz on November 25, 2009 at 11:18 AM
what do you expect from europe?
bloggless on November 25, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Time to call Dawg.
BobMbx on November 25, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Time, wounds all heels.
esblowfeld on November 25, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Why am I not surprised? I mean come on! The whole damn arrest was nothing more than a show. But if a known terrorist suddenly shows up with a fat lip, well, we need to hold those Navy SEALS accountable right? WTF is this world coming to? It’s real hard not to f***king punch this computer screen right now.
galvestonian on November 25, 2009 at 11:21 AM
It begins to look like the slow motion melt down of the judicial system in the western world. Once ordinary people begin to think they can ignore the law just like the big guys, civilization ends.
Why buy health insurance, they can’t put 100 million of us in jail can they? Or refuse medical treatment? They might do that. The liberals can withhold medical treatment for those who need it, just as food is used as a weapon in Africa. Submit to my rule or starve/die (from lack of medical care.)
So instead of ‘justice’ it becomes who are your friends.
Skandia Recluse on November 25, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Come on, this isn’t bail bail.
/Goldberg
Sharke on November 25, 2009 at 11:22 AM
But Specter wasn’t a known bail jumper, and a pretty low flight-risk. Polanski… notsomuch.
Abby Adams on November 25, 2009 at 11:22 AM
BailBailOut.
portlandon on November 25, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Ann…F you!
galvestonian on November 25, 2009 at 11:24 AM
I hope nothing untoward happens to the poor man.
Because lots of awful accidents occur right in one’s own
housechalet.omnipotent on November 25, 2009 at 11:25 AM
I’m no lawyer, but as far as I know it is a federal responsibility, because states do not have authority to negotiate with foreign countries.
jwolf on November 25, 2009 at 11:27 AM
One, he’s worth more than $3 million bucks and I could see him forfeiting it easily to avoid extradition. Two, ankle monitors can be cut off or removed.
Let’s see what the Swiss gov does. They have been fairly cooperative with us.
Blake on November 25, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Dumbass: Did Specter leave the country for 30 years in order to avoid a prison sentence? Polanski already did this once. Try thinking before you post.
Blake on November 25, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Holder: “I talked to my wife and brother, and they said…”
rogerb on November 25, 2009 at 11:30 AM
He was on trial for murder.
Chris_Balsz on November 25, 2009 at 11:31 AM
If that’s true, then I don’t think we need to know anything else.
Cindy Munford on November 25, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Maybe polanski is having Thanksgiving with woody allen.
Johan Klaus on November 25, 2009 at 11:36 AM
But then we’d never see Ann
AsianGirlInTights on November 25, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Oh wow, I’m so surprised!
Oh, wait that’s not surprise – that’s I told you so.
mjk on November 25, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Missing the extradition request was just an unfortunate oversight on Holder’s behalf. He thought that Polanski was going to be tried by a military tribunal.
Clink on November 25, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Hahahaha. Very funny!
ladyingray on November 25, 2009 at 11:45 AM
LOL.
+1000000000000
mjk on November 25, 2009 at 11:46 AM
No that he’s 4.5 million poorer its time for a sequel to rendition.
Speakup on November 25, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Hey, look on the bright side, the Swiss stand to pick up $4.5 million in easy money when Roman skips.
Of course the Swiss will be punished as Roman won’t be coming back anymore.
GarandFan on November 25, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Bet they were talking about this to their hollywood buddies at the state dinner “What? A convicted rapist? No of course I won’t prosecute him, I mean he’s just a misunderstood artist. I might even give him an executive pardon when he returns”
Defector01 on November 25, 2009 at 11:52 AM
OUCH!
Bag… of… hammers… upside… the… head…
Khun Joe on November 25, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Where oh where is Liam to defend his little troll?
katy the mean old lady on November 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I think I chipped off a small flake :D
AsianGirlInTights on November 25, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Where oh where is Liam to defend his little troll?
katy the mean old lady on November 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I don’t know. Ann hit all the threads at once this morning, seeing if she could get something going.
kingsjester on November 25, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Given his predilections, I say he’ll flee to Thailand if the chance presents itself
ya2daup on November 25, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Given his predilections, I say he’ll flee to Thailand if the chance presents itself
ya2daup on November 25, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Yp, he night. But then, he might wind up like David Carradine.
kingsjester on November 25, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Yp, he night=Yep, he might.
uncoordinated.
kingsjester on November 25, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Apparently that was Carradine’s problem
ya2daup on November 25, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Cindy Munford
How are you? I’ve seen you alot more lately. Are you done with you big job–or are you taking a little R&R?
lovingmyUSA on November 25, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Judges are not like the rest of us . They have actual direct power . We will be treated to more demonstrations of the same soon in Nuevo Jork .
borntoraisehogs on November 25, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Apparently that was Carradine’s problem
ya2daup on November 25, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Yeah. Whodathunkit? After all those years of dancing and Tai Chi.
kingsjester on November 25, 2009 at 12:15 PM
May I see that?
Thank you.
… appears to be common basalt with some minor crystalline enclosures. Typical lib head material, worthless.
DarkCurrent on November 25, 2009 at 12:15 PM
I see that some of the playas are here. So that means that all of the playas are here because some of the playas are actually all of the playas.
bloggless on November 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Not a lawyer, but wasn’t it the California AG that initiated the extradition request/Arrest warrant?
Not defending Holder or the Confessed Serial Child Rapist Polanski, but I hope CA is going to continue to pursue this.
I REALLY hope he runs. It will hopefully make more headlines and future celebrity scumbags caught by foreign Governments will comply more easily. (I hope.)
barnone on November 25, 2009 at 12:25 PM
wtf.
That a**hole is the textbook definition of a flight risk.
Dave Rywall on November 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Hi! No the project goes on until 12/29. I comment more during the day, not as much at night. Dragging buttski by then. Although I do have occasion comment in the middle of the night. Weird.
Cindy Munford on November 25, 2009 at 12:30 PM
You are very perceptive.
Perceptron on November 25, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Ed, the US filed the official extradition request a couple of weeks ago. I linked to a report in one of AP’s comment threads on the subject then.
.
RWG (but I’m feeling too lazy to do it again)
RWG on November 25, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Not a lawyer, but wasn’t it the California AG that initiated the extradition request/Arrest warrant?
Not defending Holder or the Confessed Serial Child Rapist Polanski, but I hope CA is going to continue to pursue this.
I REALLY hope he runs. It will hopefully make more headlines and future celebrity scumbags caught by foreign Governments will comply more easily. (I hope.)
barnone on November 25, 2009 at 12:25 PM
——
I hope he runs too.
Then the public will be even thirstier for blood.
It would be awesome if someone actually put together a reality show with some bounty hunters and documented them tracking him down and catching him, hopefully with some resistance on his part which would lead to some face punching..
Dave Rywall on November 25, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Err, did you miss this part?
That will make it tough to skip out.
Don’t get me wrong – I find it quite odd that bail would be offered in a situation like this. All I’m saying is that I don’t see it making that much difference in the end.
orange on November 25, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Dog, Beth and crew… saddle up!!!
Viper1 on November 25, 2009 at 12:56 PM
In this world or the next, ALL of us receive our just rewards and punishments.
csdeven on November 25, 2009 at 1:01 PM
The Swiss government is not going to appeal the court’s decision.
simkeith on November 25, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Not to hijack, but make sure you let Best Buy know how you feel about its pro-Muslim, anti-Christian advertising campaigns:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/23/a-storm-is-brewing-at-best-buy/
voxpopuli on November 25, 2009 at 1:20 PM
As long as the bail money and the chalet go to the victim, I’m cool with this.
pedestrian on November 25, 2009 at 1:36 PM
I prefer to say he’s widely reputed to be guilty as sin, and reported to be out on bail.
Kralizec on November 25, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Gee…Only a SLIGHT understatement there. He didn’t have sex with a 13 year old girl. He forced himself upon, raped and sodomized a 13 year old girl. I think there’s a difference, but hey…..it wasn’t RAPE-rape…..
Sponge on November 25, 2009 at 1:38 PM
ROTFLMAO
Knock this off now or contribute to my Depens fund.
katy the mean old lady on November 25, 2009 at 1:38 PM
I wonder if acting for the sake of expected rewards and punishments is worthy of reward.
Kralizec on November 25, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Not to hijack, but make sure you let Best Buy know how you feel about its pro-Muslim, anti-Christian advertising campaigns:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/23/a-storm-is-brewing-at-best-buy/
voxpopuli on November 25, 2009 at 1:20 PM
—-
So don’t shop there, you intolerant a*s.
From your link:
” Thanksgiving, an ostensibly “conservative” holiday,””
What a load of steaming sh*t.
From Best buy corporate:
“We do use the word “holiday” in some of our advertising because it is meant to be inclusive to everyone. However, just as we have in the past, we will also reference specific holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in our weekly ads, store signage and other advertising vehicles.
We encourage our employees to interact with customers naturally and wish them a Merry Christmas or share whatever greeting is appropriate for the holiday they are celebrating.”
From me:
P*ss off.
Dave Rywall on November 25, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Too bad it’s not the Swiss Chalet franchise, but he’ll roast on a spit in hell.
alliebobbitt on November 25, 2009 at 1:49 PM
This is what happens when Holder and Obama don’t send an extradition request. They are big supporters of child rapists – especially one from Hollywood – so why be mean to Polanski? I called this when it all started. The WH was never going to send and request for extradition. Just let the State Run Media cover up the facts and hope it doesn’t hurt your polls. Besides your Hollywood base cannot be offended. They serve up big bucks and free propaganda don’t they?
chicagojedi on November 25, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Why would we do that? The more you post the more obvious it becomes that you have no clue about conservatism. I am adding you to my do not respond list.
Cindy Munford on November 25, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Dear American teens,
We are currently unable to protect you from child rape, sodomy and torture. If, by chance, you are raped, sodomized or otherwise brutalized please be sure not to exceed the government imposed limit on follow-up HIV tests, blood work, counseling, etc. Also, prosecution is out of the question, especially if your rapist/attacker/would-be-murderer is an athlete, actor or even marginal celebrity.
Love,
America
The Race Card on November 25, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Wait, wait, I believe the Feds DID ask for his extradition last month. Wasn’t it a post in the “flurry” of posts about Polanski in Oct.? I remember the 26th being the last day to file for extradition, but I could swear that they did file a few weeks after he was taken into custody. I will try the archives here.
JAM on November 25, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Just woke up from a little nap, and read the headline as “Pelosi gets Ball from Swiss Court”.
Popped my eyes open, right quick.
mr.blacksheep on November 25, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Electronic monitoring devices won’t do a bit of good here! This SOB is gonna book and run and this time, no one will be able to touch him!
pilamaye on November 25, 2009 at 3:23 PM
He’ll find some quiet corner of SE Asia to hang out in, but probably not the same village as Gary Glitter.
mcassill on November 25, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »