Roman Polanski to return to the US

(Photo: FICG.mx/Flickr.com)

After nearly 40 years of running away from US authorities, critically acclaimed filmmaker Roman Polanski will return to the US to appeal  his 1977 rape case.

It has been mentioned that Polanski will able to reach a plea deal that will assure that he will no longer serve jail time. His lawyer, Harland Braun, told the AFP that he had written to Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Scott Gordon to unseal a secret transcript of the testimony of the prosecutor in the case. He believes that this will confirm the deal.

Polanski was accused of having drugged and raped 13-year-old Samantha Gailey (now Geimer) after a photoshoot in Jack Nicholson’s LA home in 1977. However, after being detained, in 48 days he flew to France before the verdict was carried out in 1978.

There had been attempts for US authorities to extradite Polanski to face his sentence.

In 2009 he was ordered a house arrest in Switzerland for 10 months. Eventually Bern rejected the US order. He was once again requested to be extradited while being in Poland in 2015. The Polish Supreme Court also dismissed the US order and declared that he had served his time under the plea deal.

Braun also mentioned the Polish Supreme Court will be enough to support the plea deal.

Geimer herself has also called for the charges to be dropped as well, saying that Polanski had paid his dues for the crime.

The multi-awarded director is known for films such as “The Pianist” and “Chinatown”. He was also married to Sharon Tate, a famed model and actress who was murdered by the Manson Family in 1969.

If acquitted by the US, Polanski has plans to visit Tate’s grave in LA and his father’s in Krakow.