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Fugitive film director may come in from cold
October 2, 1997
Web posted at: 6:36 a.m. EDT (1036 GMT)From Correspondent Ann McDermott
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- People in Hollywood are talking about Roman Polanski.
It's not the first time. Polanski's wife, actress Sharon Tate, was one of the victims of the infamous Manson family in 1969. His film "Chinatown" won critical acclaim and a slew of Oscar nominations.
But Polanski was never so talked about as in 1977, when he was accused of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles. Though he protested his innocence, Polanski eventually pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Polanski, who had already become a French citizen before the incident, fled the country before his sentencing, and has not been seen in the U.S. in 20 years. He was declared a fugitive from justice, and a warrant for his arrest is still outstanding.
Two decades later, the case may be closer to being resolved. Los Angeles TV station KTLA reports that both sides are working on a deal to allow Polanski to return to the U.S. and serve no jail time.
Court documents show that Polanski's lawyers met with Roger Gunson of the L.A. district attorney's office in December and January.
In the only official comment, spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons told the Associated Press that the district attorney's office has not changed its mind. "Our position has always remained the same -- that Mr. Polanski must surrender. We have not agreed to any sentence."
At a press conference on domestic violence, District Attorney Gil Garcetti declined to comment on the Polanski case. Gunson, the original prosecutor, also refused to discuss any aspect of the case. Polanski and his attorney could not be reached for comment.
The then-teen-age victim, Samantha Geimer, is now 33 and lives in Hawaii. In a phone call to CNN, she said that "I was the victim, and yes, it was a crime. However, having said that, I feel that it is appropriate for him to work out his legal issues with getting back into the United States."
Polanski does not consider himself an exile from the U.S. When responding to a recent article on his case published in Vanity Fair magazine, Polanski wrote to the editor: "While it is true than I cannot visit the States, I can hardly be in exile from a country that was never my own."
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