Los Angeles County DA wants Roman Polanski to stand trial for 1977 rape

Director Roman Polanski may still not be in the clear for his rape of a 13-year-old girl four decades ago.

As we previously reported, Academy Award-nominated director Roman Polanski is possibly returning to the U.S. for the first time in nearly four decades. Polanski fled the country after pleading guilty to drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977.  In mid-February, Polanski's attorney Harland Braun had reportedly reached a plea deal that would have allowed the director to return to Los Angeles without facing any further prosecution. However, Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee believed that Polanski should return to the U.S. and seek a lighter sentence or withdraw his guilty plea and stand trial for the sex crime.

“What he cannot do is dictate outcomes from afar while insulating himself from any potential adverse consequence,” Hanisee said.

Variety reports that Polanski wished to unseal 2010 transcripts from District Attorney Roger Gunson, the prosecutor in the 1977 proceedings. Polanski accused the courts of judicial misconduct and he wished to make the transcripts public to help resolve the case. Prior judges have refused to unseal the transcripts and Hanisee is urging the current presiding judge, Scott Gordon, to do the same.

Multiple attempts to extradite and prosecute Polanski have proven unsuccessful. Polanski served 10 months of house arrest in Switzerland during attempts to extradite him in 2010. His attorney wants him to be sentenced to time served so he can return to the States. However, Hanisee rejected the authority of Polish and Swiss courts. “[T]hey have no authority to mandate how the Superior Court of California will issue sentencing credits in a California criminal case," she said.

Judge Gordon will hear arguments for the case on March. 20.