The long legal saga of Roman Polanski took another — and discouraging, for the director — turn on Friday, as a judge shot down Polanski’s bid to have the case against him stemming from a 1977 sexual assault dismissed.
In the order, handed down Friday, Judge Scott M. Gordon called out Polanski’s “continued refusal to obey court orders” and “ad hominem attacks” on judicial officers involved with the case.
“The Defendant in this matter stands as a fugitive and refuses to comply with court orders . As eloquently described by [victim] Ms. Geimer, his conduct continues to harm her and compounds the trauma of the sexual assault committed against her that gave rise to this case,” the order reads.
Gordon continued, “The defendant continues to stand in a position that is at the core of the fugitive disentitlement doctrine. The only thing that has changed in the posture of this case is that the defendant, through counsel, has extended his ad hominem attacks to each judicial officer assigned to the matter and those attacks by counsel become more inappropriate with each subsequent pleading filed by the Defendant. Such conduct is not the basis for the relief requested by the Defendant. “
“The Defendant’s request for a dismissal of the case, juxtaposed with his continued refusal to obey court orders, is a fundamental issue in this case,” Gordon noted at one point in the ruling.
“The Defendant’s renewed request to dismiss … is also DENIED,” he concluded in Friday’s order.
The Best Director Oscar-winner of “The Pianist” was indicted in 1977 on five charges, including “rape by use of drugs” and “furnishing a controlled substance to a minor,” after having sex with then-13-year-old Samantha Geimer, who had been brought over to his house for a photo shoot.
Polanski later reached a deal, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.” As a condition of the deal, he was required to serve 90 days in state prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. He was released after only 42 days, but soon after fled the United States when it emerged that the presiding judge was considering a stiffer penalty.
In April, Polanski’s request to a judge, which would have allowed Polanski to return to the United States without serving any additional jail time, was shot down by the court.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
15 Must-See Movies at Cannes Film Festival
"Behind the Candelabra"
Steven Soderbergh won the Palme d'Or with his first film, "sex, lies and videotape" in 1989, and he's back in the running for his final film, a Liberace story he made for HBO when he couldn't get a studio to back it.
"The Immigrant"
James Gray has competed at Cannes with "The Yards," "We Own the Night" and "Two Lovers," and is back with his historical drama set in New York in the 1920s, with a powerhouse cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner and Joaquin Phoenix.
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
Joel and Ethan Coen won the Palme d'Or with "Barton Fink" 22 years ago, while "Fargo" and "The Man Who Wasn't There" also picked up best-director awards at Cannes. They could mine a (typically twisted?) vein of nostalgia with this look at the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, with a lead character loosely based on Dave Van Ronk.
"Jimmy P."
The fifth film from French director Arnaud Desplechin to screen in competition at Cannes, "Jimmy P." stars Benicio del Toro as a Native American returning from World War II, and Mathieu Amalric as the therapist trying to help him adjust.
"Le Passe"
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is coming off the Oscar-winning "A Separation," and making his Cannes debut with a French-language drama starring "A Separation" star Tahar Rahim and "The Artist" leading lady Berenice Bejo.
"Nebraska"
A member of the Cannes jury last year, Alexander Payne returns to a competitive slot for the first time since "About Schmidt" with his black-and-white road movie starring Will Forte and, in a performance already picking up heavy awards buzz, Bruce Dern.
"Only Lovers Left Alive"
Can a vampire movie win the Palme d'Or? Probably not, but in the hands of Jim Jarmusch ("Stranger Than Paradise," "Mystery Train" and "Broken Flowers," all of which won awards at Cannes) and a cast that includes Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, it can be stylish and unsettling.
"Un Chateau en Italie"
The only female director in the main competition (though four of the nine jurors are women), actress-turned-director Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi has cast herself and her partner Filippo Timi in a dramatic comedy about family troubles.
"Tian Zhu Ding"
Director Jia Zhangke uses four different stories to paint a picture of violence in modern China. With the country emerging as a key player in worldwide cinema, is it time for the first Chinese winner at Cannes in 20 years?
"Venus in Furs"
Roman Polanski is a lightning rod for controversy, but he's also one of only three directors in competition (Soderbergh and the Coens being the others) who's already won the Palme d'Or. Based on the play by David Ives, "Venus in Furs" deals with sexual obsession and sounds as if it could be dark and kinky.
"Le Dernier des Injustes"
Claude Lanzmann is known for a single film, "Shoah," a monumental work documenting the Holocaust. So it's big news when the 87-year-old director turns his sights on the topic again, as he does with this chronicle of the Theresienstadt ghetto, created by the Nazis to fool observers and hide their real plans for the Jews.
"Fruitvale Station"
This year's "Beasts of the Southern Wild?" Ryan Coogler's drama, set in inner-city Oakland, won both the audience and jury awards at Sundance, landed a distribution deal and got a slot in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.
"Les Salauds"
It was somewhat shocking when the new film from iconic filmmaker Claire Denis landed in Un Certain Regard rather than the main competition - but Jean-Luc Godard was in the same spot in 2010, so UCR is obviously amenable to both legends and newcomers.
"Seduced and Abandoned"
Director James Toback can be intriguing, annoying and challenging in equal measure, and he may well be all three at once with Cannes' special screening of this film, a documentary about filmmaking, art, money and glamour shot by Toback and Alec Baldwin at last year's Cannes.
"The Dance of Reality"
Though he's 84, Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky is a major presence in the Directors Fortnight sidebar, which will include both "Jodorowsky's Dune," Frank Pavich's documentary about the director's failed attempt to make a movie from Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic "Dune," and this surreal, semi-autobiographical fantasia.
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Steven Soderbergh, the Coen Brothers, Alexander Payne, Roman Polanski — heavy hitters and international auteurs go for the Palme at Cannes
"Behind the Candelabra"
Steven Soderbergh won the Palme d'Or with his first film, "sex, lies and videotape" in 1989, and he's back in the running for his final film, a Liberace story he made for HBO when he couldn't get a studio to back it.