I do admit that it seems unlikely that Polanski fled for *that*. I suspect he acted rashly, and only after fleeing realized that the plea bargain would have been yanked and an additional sentence for flight imposed.
OTOH, he was even offered the chance to come back with probably no additional jail time to serve, but refused because court proceedings would have been televised, IIRC, so I guess even no prison time at all was just too much.
fyi. I think this was linked above, but here is a salon article about Roman Polanski that recaps witness testimony. It is pretty graphic in terms of what RP did to the 13-year-old.
[link]
Wha...?
Former Prosecutor: I Lied In Polanski Documentary
LOS ANGELES — A former prosecutor said Wednesday he lied when he told a documentary film crew that he advised a judge handling Roman Polanski's sex case that he should send the director to prison.
The statement later became part of the basis for a move by Polanski's attorneys to dismiss the case against the fugitive director who was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday.
"They interviewed me in the Malibu courthouse when I was still a DA, and I embellished a story," David F. Wells said in an interview with The Associated Press about his statements to the makers of "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired."
"I'm a guy who cuts to the chase – I lied. It embarrasses the hell of me." he said.
...
Wells said he overstated his actions to the filmmakers because he was told the documentary would air in France, not the United States. The documentary aired on HBO.
In the documentary, Wells is depicted as conferring with the now-deceased trial judge Laurence J. Rittenband about Polanski's case. Wells says in the film the judge took his advice in deciding to renege on a plea bargain and give Polanski additional prison time.
"I made that up to make the stuff look better," Wells said. His admission was first reported in a story by former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark on the Web site The Daily Beast.
Wells needs to be stood up against a wall and pelted with rotten tomatoes. Regardless of whether he was lying then or he's lying now.
Oh, the
Pulp Fiction
one. Hee.
Oh, the Pulp Fiction one. Hee.
It took me a minute. Then I snerked big time.
Those are so cool. Linking to it on FB for my designer friends.
That Star Wars one baffled me for a moment, then I realized it was very cool.