Polanski Got Off Lightly, Lawyers Say

Polanski would face tougher prosecution today

By GILLIAN FLACCUS (AP) – 3 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — If Roman Polanski were charged with child rape today, DNA evidence, stiffer penalties, outcry over childhood sexual abuse and tougher scrutiny of celebrity justice would make prosecutors much less willing to cut the plea deal the director received more than 30 years ago, legal experts say.

For one thing, changes in state law since the 1970s would give prosecutors other options in pursuing charges, including a law that includes a mandatory 15 years to life in state prison for rape, sodomy or a lewd act with a child coupled with certain circumstances, such as the use of a controlled substance, said Robin Sax, a former sex crimes prosecutor with the district attorney's office.

"He should be shutting up and thanking goodness for his sentence," said Sax, who is also a victim's advocate. "There's one part of me that says, 'Bring it on, you want your trial? Let's let everyone here see what the evidence really is.'"

Polanski was accused of plying a 13-year-old girl with champagne and part of a Quaalude during a modeling shoot in 1977 and raping her. He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy.

The director pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse; in exchange, the remaining charges were dropped, and the judge agreed to send Polanski to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. But Polanski was released after 42 days and fled the country on the eve of his Feb. 1, 1978 sentencing after the judge reportedly told lawyers he planned to add more prison time.

"I intended that he at least serve a full 90 days in state prison," Superior Court Judge Laurence Rittenband said in an AP story from the time.

Rittenband also called the prison psychiatric report on Polanski "a complete whitewash" and told reporters he believed it didn't adequately explore Polanski's reasons for committing the sex offense.

Victims of clergy sexual abuse staged a protest outside the district attorney's office Wednesday to protest celebrities who have publicly supported Polanski since his arrest in Zurich, Switzerland over the weekend.

"It is very, very similar to the allegations against the priests ... and no one says that we should just ignore the priest pedophilia," said Katie Buckland, executive director of the California Women's Law Center and former Los Angeles city attorney, who was not affiliated with the protesters.

An HBO documentary released last year suggested judicial misconduct surrounding Polanski's plea deal. The victim, who didn't want to testify against him at the time, has joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal, which is currently before a California appellate court.

Chad Hummel, Polanski's attorney, declined to comment Wednesday.

Experts watching the case unfold on two continents say in today's climate, Polanski would have very little chance of getting the sort of plea deal he got in 1977 — judicial misconduct or not.

"I think we treat sex and sex with minor cases now much more severely than we did then," said Stan Goldman, a law professor at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. "I think Polanski or anybody today would be looking at massive amounts of time in jail ... in light of the allegation, as originally charged, that this was forcible, and that he fed her drugs."

Yo, Whoopi: That's What "Rape" Rape IS

Has this country run entirely out of adults?

Here's a link to story about Whoopi Goldberg, who, along with some others, seems to find the act of drugging, raping and sodomizing a child something other than utterly repellent and unacceptable. She thinks it was rape, but not "rape" rape.

[Whoopi-Polanski]

Splashed all over HuffPo you'll find Polanski apologists. It's remarkable. I see Polanski apologists everywhere.
They don't even know that they're dead wrong.

Polanski apologists could feast their eyes on Polanski's victim's testimony at The Smoking Gun, here. Where, you know, the child victim testified to being all alone with Polanski, given champagne, and more champagne, and then qaaludes. Then, having been all softened up, she testifies to being raped and sodomized by Polanski. It's all right there in black and white.

But, hey, there's a big pro-torture crowd, too, in the ol' U-S-A, so what's not so funny about peace, love and understanding child date-rape,-rape-rape,-and-sodomy?

Dept. of Kids So Need Mommies and/or Daddies

Because no one could have predicted Mommy would lock her son in a closet for four and a half years.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A woman was arrested after her 14-year-son told authorities he escaped from a home where he'd been kept for 4 1/2 years, spending most of his time locked in a bedroom closet, police said Monday.

A security guard at a National Guard facility in Oklahoma City called police on Friday after the teen showed up malnourished and with numerous scars and other signs of abuse, police Sgt. Gary Knight said.

"He was hungry. He was dirty. He had numerous scars on his body," Knight said. "It was very sad."

The boy was taken to a hospital to be examined and then turned over to the custody of the Department of Human Services, Knight said.

After police interviews, officers on Saturday arrested the boy's mother, 37-year-old LaRhonda Marie McCall, and a friend, 38-year-old Steve Vern Hamilton, on 20 complaints each of child abuse and child neglect. Formal charges have not been filed, and both were being held on $400,000 bond, according to jail records.

Jail officials were not sure if either had retained an attorney, and no one answered the phone at McCall's home.

The teen, wearing only a pair of oversized shorts held up by a belt, walked up to a security guard at the Guard facility around 5 p.m. Friday and asked where a police station was located so he could report being abused, according to a police report.

He told police that scars on his stomach and torso were from where alcohol had been poured on him and set on fire. Other scars were from being tied up, hit with an extension cord and choked, the boy told police.

"He had scars covering most of his body," Knight said. "They were basically from head to foot."

The teen told police he moved to the Oklahoma City area from New Jersey about 4 1/2 years ago after his mother was released from jail. Since arriving in Oklahoma, he said, he had never been to school and spent most of his time locked in a bedroom closet.

Champagne, Qaaludes, & Child Rape: It's Roman Polanski Oh, My! Oh My!

The curious case of Oscar-winning child rapist Roman Polanski continues on its curious way, remarkable for shining a light on public acceptance/denial/numbing/avoidance of certain sexual crimes. Like, um, you know, vaginal rape and anal rape (and oral as well, if memory serves) of a 13 year old child [having softened her up first, as it were, with mind-altering substances, in this case alcohol and pills, the classic date-rape drug combo of choice].

Polanski pleads all the way down next to nothing -- unlawful sex with a minor -- but still, it's just not down far enough for him. How he finds sympathizers is beyond me. It's all about poor persecuted Roman. Who has never had the balls to stand up and say, yes, I drugged and raped that little girl, every which way, and I am one really sick f*ck. I mean, how hard is that?

There Is No Plague Of Child Abuse Even Though It Takes Me Maybe Three Minutes on Google to Find a Juicy Case

Jessica Baxter, 65, gets a life term for child abuse.

Jessica Banks, 65 was the pastor of a small church in Riverside County, California and adopted five girls about five years ago. She was convicted in July of 16 felonies for child abuse, and this week was sentenced to 36 years and 8 months in prison, along with two consecutive terms of 15 years to life.

Jessica Banks kept the girls locked in an unheated garage, and kicked and beat them daily with cords and sticks, high heeled shoes, extension cords and belts. The five girls were between 4-11 of age at the time, and were forced to wear two layers of diapers and long black dresses, according to authorities. Jessica Banks also fed the girls spoiled food and made them take sleeping pills, and sexually abused them with paint sticks.

Librul Is As Librul Does. Or, Like, Doesn't.

The divine Anglachel on Teh Southern Strategery.

Why Do Kids Need Mommies and Daddies?

I dunno.

That's what the Mob-GOPS want us to think.

But why?

Kids don't need Mommies and Daddies, per se.

They need a caretaking adult or caretaking adult(s) who actually will take care of them. I mean, how hard is that, really?

Consider Denver Daddy Benjamin Koller.

He bit and beat his infant son, who, we learned in court just now, is not expected to survive.

Hitler Learns Kanye West Disses Taylor Swift at VMA

Million Moran March

It's at The Woodshed.

If Your Spouse Beats the Crap Out of You = It's All Your Fault! Thus, It's a Pre-Existing Condition!!

So, really, haha, boyz and girlz.

Just suck it up. Whatever happens, suck it up!!

Billionaires for WealthCare at The Million Moran March

Be a Billionaire!

Save the status quo!

Because our dear Denial Death Panels really make a killing!

Stay Classy, Mob-GOPS

September 11 in Samsara

Rabid Right Mommy Scared Timid Centrist Prez Is Really Tulku of Mao-Tse Tung

How can people be so f*cking stupid?

Really.

Hey, Boys and Girls! It's Time to Mercenary-Up the Army! Privatize Cooks at Twice the Price, at Taxpayers' Expense!

You see, the military is a non-profit organization. Although the military-industrial complex so feared by that commie, Eisenhower, isn't.

So, if you don't want to seem like you're adding more troops in Afghanistan, you can outsource support staff to profit-making outfits, who charges twice the price, and can also do whateverthef*ck they want.

It's WIN-WIN-WIN!


(Which party won the election?)

Crappy "Christian' Prays Prez Dies of Brain Cancer

What would Jesus do?

You know, I'm Buddhist, but I had actually thought that the whole Golden Rule teachings of Jesus were not optional.

Call to Action: Billionaires for WealthCare, Not HealthCare

RECRUITING BILLIONAIRES NOW!

Start you own chapter, or join one!

Print out signs, don tiara or tux, and make a beeline for your nearest teabagger party. Let your Billionaire voice be heard! w00t!

Bloggers Call Out WaPo for Pro-Sadist Pro-Cheney Propaganda

Washington Post: Official Stenographer for the Pro-Torture Crowd

RIP Teddy Kennedy -- Teddy Jr.'s Eulogy Part Two

RIP Teddy Kennedy -- Teddy Jr.'s Eulogy Part One

RIP Teddy Kennedy

Beautiful, beautiful piece on Teddy Kennedy by RJ Eskow, at HuffPo.


Obama's speech at Teddy Kennedy's funeral, here.



And here's some nasty business from the so-called "pro-life" crowd, criticizing Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Compassion-Free Con Coburn: No Help for You and Your Suffering Hubby, Lady

So, lady, you say you can't get health care for your husband who has a traumatic brain injury?

Stop whining. Go hold a bake sale.

Bio Mom Dumps Newborn in Porta-potty Tank

Let's guilt-trip more moms into having kids they don't want.

Ted Kennedy Dies at 77

Great senator, great sailor.

Department of I Feel Sure I Warned You About the Timid Centrist Thing, Did I Not?

At Corrente, thrill to Vast-Wing Conspiracy's miraculous take on Teh New Miracle of Matt Taibbi.