If I’m not mistaken the man who is collecting all those signatures is known for influencing the oscars. He requently has contenders among the hopefuls. He could well be collectiing IOU’s with his current politicking.

KATE!
Thanks for clearing that up. My views are the same as the priest’s, btw.

Polanski’s actions were wrong but there is no need to exaggerate.

American justice on that story is a joke, like it usually is anyway. It sucks. And they know it so well, everyone is VERY embarassed. Let’s now see what they really wanted politically speaking from dear Sarkozy … since it’s all there is really to know about such a stupid thing.

Now for Whoopi. She’s a moron to say it wasn’t rape rape . WHA??? Jay Leno had a great monologue last night. For Debra Winger. Has been. JN…who cares about him. Woody Allen. Shit. I haven’t seen any of his movies since he molested his daughter and then waited until she was of age to photograph and marry her (yeah, I don’t believe it started after she became an adult). Martin Scorceses. I barely like his movies anyway. I reviewed the list of folks that signed the petition. Didn’t recognize any names of relevance in the American film industry. European perhaps, but color me uncultured, I haven’t seen many foreign films of late (or American for that matter).
One final thought. It never ceases to amaze me how women undermine the protection of our sisters, mothers, and daughters by portending to be “objective” and rallying around in speech or writing the merits of rapists and abusers. We pretend to be unemotional and educated while we play ‘devil’s advocate’ to determine whether their was an underlying cause that could some how excuse the behavior. Until women –regardless of nationality, ethnicity, orientation –realize we are our strength and band together against depravity toward children we will continue to have children’s victimized by those bigger, stronger, or more clever than them.

Plea agreements can and do include an agreed upon sentencing component. In many jurisdictions if the judge does not agree with the recommended or agreed to sentence then the defendant can withdraw his guily plea and schedule a trial. In Polanski’s case this was a very structured plea agreement with the sentence requested by the prosecution a foregone conclusion. That is why even the Los Angeles prosecutors from the original case have been protesting Judge Rittenband‘s conduct for decades. I was rather surprised that these prosecutors were sympathetic to Polanksi’s fleeing but then they were the ones who knew all the ins and outs of the case better than anyone. Rittenband’s conduct in blatantly kowtowing to the lobbying by local media and bragging that he was going to exceed the plea agreement was almost as serious judicial misconduct as you can get. Judge Rittenband’s last minute stated intention in this case was a disservice to the criminal justice system. It wasn’t just that he was secretly devising a new sentence: it was how and why he was doing it.

Plea agreements serve everyone: defendants, courts, victims, the public. But defendants must be able to rely upon them and trust them or they will avoid them like the plague and force all cases to trial. A government victory in the Polanski case was an iffy venture. I personally think they wouldn’t have gotten a conviction on anything except the charge he pled in the agreement. If the victim had balked and refused to cooperate they would have ended up with nothing.

I agree with you. Of course, Polanski shouldn’t have fled but under the circumstances even the original prosecutors were sympathetic. In reality Polanski has been trying to settle this case for decades by offering to return to the U.S. His lawyers were trying to arrange that he be taken immediately from the plane to court for the original plea agreement to be enforced.

This case just gets more interesting. I appreciate your thoughtful opinion.

I know who Nancy is, don’t like her at all, but yes she does stand up for victims , but she did not make Melinda do that. If you look at the case,she had found out the police were coming to arrest her, so she took her own life before they could do that.

As far RP, I don’t care how talented the man is, or if she was a runaway,a hooker , or how long it has been, she was 13 years old. He drugged her, her gave her alcohol, he sodomized her as she cried in the hot tub, with others nearby, he had sex with her,he admits he had sex with an underage minor, she testified that she protested.

So do we just say, oh well she was a bad little girl, too bad, or he is such a great director he gets a pass. No, we do not because then we are setting a precedent. The article about the priest is spot on. Look at what Whoopi said, it was not rape-rape, , the girl was 13 years old. yes it was rape, she was pleading with him to stop. Let’s give him the benefit of doubt and say she wasn’t, teachers go to jail for having sex with boys older than this that, do they get a free pass? Is a teacher 22 years old having sex with a 14 year old boy off the hook? No.

Oh RP is so nice, says his ex sister in law, soooooo. JN was out of town, yes I know that, but he stood up for RP’s character, what does that say about him.

AS I said, I am no fan of Nancy Grace, but I admire her determination to stand for the victim. I am well aware of the customs in the Asian community, I have relatives in the islands, and 3 little nieces that adopted from asia. Nancy has made many mistakes stemmed from her fiance being shot in the head and killed when they were in college, something she has never gotten over. Worse than her is Tom Steddon, sometimes one needs to retire.

I understand what you mean though, she was very very tough on Melinda, and she was already mentally unstable. That is why she was living with the grandparents to begin with. The entire case was a mess. I am not a big fan of people being convicted in the media, I prefer the system the UK uses. I really do not think information should be released to the public until after the trial. The jury pool was flooded long before she died. She would have most likely gotten the death penalty in Florida. Sadly, for such a young girl.

Did I say Whoopi is crazy, as is the rest of these stars sticking of for him. sorry, come back Roman,take this like a man, no judge at this point is going to give him 50 years. I wonder at his age now, does he understand the magnitude truly of what he did? All these stars that are petitioning for him, do they pimp out their young daughters, would they be okay with it, I wonder?

If this was not just a Priest, but just someone that Hollywood hates, can you imagine, just pick anyone, throw a dart, and think about it. They would not be given a pass. Do I want him to do 50 , 30, 20, 10 years, no, but I do want him to do some jail time. He got off to easy.