[Note: Friends of Justice is a personal blog. I speak only for myself.]
Dear Friend of Justice,
The recent arrest of director Roman Polanski has fired an intense and emotional national debate. Most of the debate seems to be about whether Polanski is essentially a “good” man or a “bad man,” whether he should be forgiven, etc.
I take no stand on any of this because this debate obscures the fundmental issues.
As a criminal-justice advocate, my concern is whether or not Polanski received due process. Like freedom of speech, due process, according to our Constitution, is a right that is supposed to apply to all — bad people included.
Last night, Jim and I rented Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. I highly recommend it. The movie leaves no doubt that Polansku was denied due process because of grave judicial misconduct. And the most compelling statements supporting this come not from Polanski, his lawyers, or his supporters. They come from Roger Gunson — Polanski’s prosecutor.
This movie should be required viewing for everone participating in this debate.
-Bob
Now the prosecutor says he lied to “make a better story.” Are we supposed to believe him now, or then?
Actually it was John Wells:” “I made that up to make the stuff look better.”
David Wells was not involved in the case. He worked in the DA’s office and told the movie makers that he had met privately with the judge and advised the judge to double cross Polanski. Had this been true, it would have been severe misconduct because Wells did work for the DA’s office. If it’s not true, it still remains judicial misconduct on the part ot the judge, regardless whether anyone advised him.
The judge called in a reporter to ask for advice on sentencing, which is quite bizarre. So it is credible that the judge might have called in an Assistant DA not involved with the case for the same reason.
Wells is most certainly a liar. He might be lying now because someone is putting the screws to him. Wells has certainly muddied the waters, because now a lot of people falsely believe that he was the prosecutor.
Only three people know what went on in the Judge’s chambers regading the bargain and its vioation: the judge, Roger Gunson (the prosecutor) and Polanski’s lawyer. The judge is dead. Gunson and Polanski’s lawyer are in agreement.
seems to me that the LA DA’s office has decided to cast Polanski as their Osama bin Laden. A great coup if they nab him, guaranteeing permanent employment and career advancement.
There has been a lot of speculation about why Polanski was nabbed now. After all, he has traveled to and from Switzerland for years and even owns a house there.
One theory is that the arrest was motivated by the DA’s office’s outrage over the movie.
The movie is now being discredited by news stories claiming that the prosecutor lied to the filmmakers and has now recanted. But David Wells was not the prosecutor. He had no official role in the case. His footage could — and should — be excised from the movie. It has no bearing on the judicial misconduct that occurred.