Lawyers for Roman Polanski appeals court to dismiss the sexual misconduct charge

Lawyers in the case of Roman Polanski and his victim had been ask an appeals court to dismiss a sexual misconduct charge against the director in the interest of justice. Associate Justice Laurie Zelon asked the prosecutor why the allegations of misconduct by a judge weren’t investigated by the district attorney’s office: “Doesn’t the district attorney’s office have an interest in finding out what happened here”?

Roman Polanski

As a reply for this, Deputy District Attorney Phyllis Asayama said: “Yes, we are interested. But I’m not sure we have the proper agency to do this”.

The California Second District Court of Appeal now has to decide if it should order a Superior Court judge to consider dismissing the case without Polanski’s attendance in court. Asayama said: “He has to be here, especially given he had options 30 years ago and he didn’t use them”.

The attorney who represents Roman Polanski , Chad Hummel, declared that the extent of judicial misconduct was not known at the time: “It sends chills up your spine what the judge did. Would there have been available alternatives at the time? There should be a hearing on that”.

Polanski’s victim Samantha Geimer is represented by attorney Lawrence Silver and she has repeatedly said she wants the case dismissed and Silver reiterated that to the justices: “No one in this room would say the proceedings were fair. Thirty-two years is enough”.