Roman Polanski Transcript Shows D.A.’s Concerns About Judge’s 1977 Conduct
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media WriterA retired prosecutor recalled in 2010 that he was so concerned about the handling of the rape case against Roman Polanski in 1977 that he drafted a document seeking the removal of the judge.Roger Gunson testified in a closed hearing that Judge Laurence Rittenband appeared to be having “ex parte” conversations about the case.
Gunson also said that he understood Polanski’s decision to flee the country in 1978, though he did not think it was justified.“I was surprised, but after reflecting upon what had happened, I wasn’t surprised that he left,” Gunson testified, saying he believed the judge had reneged on a promise to limit Polanski’s sentence to a brief stay in prison for a psychiatric examination. “There becomes a question as to whether he, Mr.
Polanski, can rely upon the representation of Judge Rittenband.” Gunson’s testimony was unsealed late Sunday night, after an appeals court ordered its release last week.
The transcript documents a conditional examination that took place over three days in 2010, as Polanski’s lawyers were seeking to have the case dismissed for judicial and prosecutorial misconduct.The contents of Gunson’s testimony were already largely known, as Gunson had cooperated with the 2008 documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” which addressed the allegations in detail.
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