Roman Polanski has failed in his bid to secure immunity from prison in the US and settle his 40-year-old statutory rape case.
Lawyers for the Oscar-winning film director, who is currently in self-exile in Paris, said he was willing to return to the country and appear in court on condition he would not serve more time in jail, the LA Times says.
However, Los Angeles Judge Scott Gordon turned down the motion, saying the arguments had been presented to previous judges and rejected. "No sufficient or compelling basis for reconsideration of these issues … has been presented," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Polanski, director of such films as The Pianist and Rosemary's Baby, fled the US in 1978, prior to being sentenced after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He claimed the judge had gone back on his word to sentence him to probation following a psychiatric evaluation.
"Since he fled the US, Polanski's travel has been confined to three countries: France, Switzerland and his native Poland," The Guardian says.
The issue is due to come before the courts in LA again later this month, says the BBC, as Polanski's legal team work to unseal a "controversial" piece of testimony which is "thought to contain allegations of misconduct by the trial judge".
"It is the court case that refuses to die," writes BBC LA correspondent David Willis. "A salacious story, the details of which remain hotly contested some 40 years after they occurred."
-
The IDF's manpower problemThe Explainer Israeli military's shortage of up to 12,000 troops results in call-up for tens of thousands of reservists
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
