California Court of Appeal

In proceedings involving the criminal charges against fugitive movie director Roman Polanski, Polanski's petition to compel the trial court to dismiss the prosecution against him or, at least, to conduct an evidentiary hearing on his request, is denied as the trial court did not abuse its discretion in applying the fugitive disentitlement doctrine and refusing to consider dismissing the action. In so ruling, the court of appeals does not disregard the extremely serious allegations of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct that have been raised, and urges the parties to take steps to investigate and to respond to the claims.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/21/2009
• Published 12/21/2009

Judges

• ZELON, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Chad S. Hummel, Diana M. Kwok, Benjamin G. Shatz;  Douglas Dalton;  and Bart P. Dalton, Los Angeles, for Petitioner., Steve Cooley, District Attorney, Irene T. Wakabayashi, Phyllis C. Asayama and David Walgren, Deputy District Attorneys, for Real Party in Interest., Silver & Field and Lawrence Silver, Los Angeles, for Samantha Geimer.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.