Forgive? Forget about it

More than 30 years after fleeing a prison sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old, film director Roman Polanski wants a court to dismiss the conviction. Prosecutors in Los Angeles have fired back with both barrels, filing an explicit document with the court spelling out allegations that the young girl was given alcohol and drugs before she was forced into oral sex, intercourse and sodomy by Polanski, who allegedly told the girl that the encounter was “our secret.” Polanski, now 75 and living in France, and his lawyers are raising the issue of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct. That would hold a lot more weight were it not for the fact that Polanski pleaded guilty to a felony charge in order for the other charges to be dismissed. That was acceptable to the victim, who wanted to avoid a trial. However, on the day he was to be sentenced, Polanski fled the country. Prosecutors are arguing that Polanski’s motion for dismissal should be summarily rejected unless he, himself, is present for the hearing. Of course, that would subject him to immediate arrest, so you know he’s not showing up. This would have been a great case for a guy like “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” who could’ve snatched Polanski off a street in Paris, stuffed him in the back of a Lear jet and taken him back to L.A. It’s easy to say that, after more than 30 years in exile, Polanski has been punished enough. But we can’t forget that, according to the allegations, a 13-year-old child was drugged and raped repeatedly. Justice, in this case, would be for Polanski to go to prison, and die there.