The pursuit of Roman Polanski will continue, but only to the extent the director allows it. Authorities in the United States roundly denounced the decision by the Swiss government to set Polanski free, dealing another twist in a sex case that has spanned three decades and two continents. From prosecutors in Los Angeles to justice officials in Washington, DC, the Swiss decision was described as a disappointment and to some, an injustice. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley called it a “disservice to justice and other victims as a whole.” The Swiss, for their part, described Polanski as “a free man.” That largely depends on the director's movements. A warrant for his arrest remains active, effectively barring the 76-year-old from returning to the US, which he fled in 1978 on the eve of sentencing for a charge of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. The ruling cannot be appealed, and within hours of the ruling Polanksi appeared to have left the multimillion dollar chalet where he had been confined on house arrest since last year. He is free to return to his native France, which does not extradite its citizens. Prosecutors have tried to arrest Polanski during his travels before, and vowed to continue the effort after Monday's ruling. Cooley, who is running for California attorney general, said his office will work with federal officials to have Polanski returned for sentencing if he's arrested in a country with a favorable extradition treaty. The Swiss government said its decision to reject extradition for Polanski was based in part on US authorities failing to turn over transcripts of secret testimony given by the attorney who originally handled the director's case. The testimony remains sealed, and can only be used if the former prosecutor was unavailable for an evidentiary hearing, a Los Angeles court spokesman said. The testimony “should prove” that Polanski actually served his sentence while undergoing a court-ordered diagnostic study after charges were filed, the Swiss Justice Ministry said. They also noted that Polanski's victim, Samantha Geimer, has repeatedly asked that the case be dropped. In addition to setting Polanski free, the Swiss decision Monday added to the chorus of courts that have expressed doubts about the director's case and his treatment. Despite misgivings about Polanski's treatment, none of the courts have ordered a hearing to determine whether the director's case was mishandled. Such a ruling could lead to an outright dismissal of the charges against the director.
