Polanski and L.A. law

The reason for my last blog was to point out some of the idiocies Polanski's supporters have been saying about the seriousness of his crime, and the difference between how some "celebrities" view what he did and how nearly everyone else views it.

Having already discussed that, I'd also like to add that there are some serious issues concerning his original plea bargain, lack of sentencing, and the timing of his arrest. A lot of this smells bad: serious charges of judicial misconduct for example. Even here there is ambiguity since one of the allegers of misconduct just today retracted his charge, saying he lied in the movie. I don't actually believe he is honest, but who knows? And that's the point: we don't know the facts yet. The only way this will be settled is by Polanski returning to the U.S. and having his staff of attorneys have at it. I have no idea how this will turn out, but I believe he will be well represented. His crime may have been reprehensible but that doesn't mean his prosecuters and persecuters aren't as well.

One final thing. I said that the President of France supported Polanski, but it was actually the minister of culture and the foreign minister who had jumped on the celebrity bandwagon. M. Sarkozy has been more circumspect. I was about to say "to his credit" but, of course, he has become aware of the popular reaction against the "just a youthful indiscretion of a great man" point of view of his ministers and some others.