Film director Roman Polanski lost his bid Friday to be sentenced without returning to the US when a judge ruled the director must be present in court if he wants to resolve his 32-year-old sex case. Reiterating Polanski was a fugitive from justice, Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said he was acting to protect “the dignity of the court.” Bart Dalton, a lawyer for Polanski, said the ruling would be appealed. Lawyers Chad Hummel, who represents Polanski, and Lawrence Silver, who represents Samantha Geimer, tried to convince Espinoza to change his mind. But Espinoza cited a law that says someone who flees is not entitled to the processes of the court unless they return. He also cited the length of time Polanski had been a fugitive.
