101.7 FM IN GENEVA DAB+, CABLE & SATELLITE ACROSS SWITZERLAND
LISTEN ONLINE 
L A T E S T
M O S T R E A D
P O P U L A R
- alcohol
- army knives
- banks
- Basel
- Bern
- cannabis
- CH votes
- cheese
- children
- chocolate
- consumers
- crime
- cycling
- easyJet
- environment
- EU
- expats
- gay
- Geneva
- health insurance
- hiking
- jura
- language
- lausanne
- Olympics
- Polanski
- real estate
- skiing
- smoking
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- swiss watches
- tax
- tax.
- tax. banks
- ticino
- tourism
- trains
- wine
- workplace
- zurich
S U B S C R I B E
Polanski asks to be sentenced in absentia
A judge in California is set to decide later this month whether to proceed with the sentencing of Roman Polanski in his absence. The film director is currently under house arrest in Switzerland awaiting extradition proceedings related to his 1978 child sex conviction. Our U.S. correspondent Daniel Ryntjes reports on yesterday’s hearing in Los Angeles:
In a notarized letter dated December 29 and written at his Swiss chalet in Gstadd, Roman Polanski wrote “I request the judgment be pronounced against me in my absence.”
Handing the letter to the judge, Polanksi’s lawyers quoted from a previous district appeal court ruling which suggested it might be an option in resolving the more than three decades long case promptly.
That District court had also raised the idea that Polanski might avoid further jail time, though the current judge suggested that was still “a fairly big question.”
Prosecutors argued that Polanski should “show his face” in court before being sentenced.
But the hearing also raised the question of a mystery witness, who the judge says “may become unavailable,” language usually reserved for someone who is dying, or who plans to leave the country.
Daniel Ryntjes for World Radio Switzerland in Washington
Tell us what you think
All fields are required, but your e-mail address will not be displayed. Please be civil.