In 1977, Samantha Geimer, née Gailey, was the first to implicate Roman Polanski in a sexual assault case. At 43, the filmmaker is prosecuted, accused of rape of a minor. The investigation provides solid evidence. The director’s defense promises to be complicated. But the complainant herself and her entourage will make things easier for her …
A lighter file
Samantha’s parents absolutely want to prevent the teenager, then 14, from having to testify at the bar in a public trial. Only solution: a deal, an arrangement, as permitted by US law. Roman Polanski agrees to plead guilty, against big concessions from the girl’s family. The most serious charges (notably that of rape) are dropped. Only the least serious charge is retained: “illicit sexual intercourse”.
With a file thus lightened, the director regains hope. He might even escape prison. But it is counting without the judge Laurence J. Rittenband, who holds the future of Polanski in his hands … and of which Samantha Geimer herself will tell to the journalists of “Complement investigation”: “If you’re here today it’s because of the judge, otherwise this story would be long forgotten.“
Psychiatric expertise in prison
The judge has a well-established reputation for severity – which would not exclude a certain megalomania. And he has a big problem: Roman Polanski has every chance of avoiding prison, and public opinion would not accept him. He therefore decides to put the director behind bars – the time for a ninety-day psychiatric examination.
Roman Polanski plays the game and shows up at Chino penitentiary, because the judge has promised him that the case will end there. But the psychiatrists complete their expertise in just forty-two days … Polanski is released. The judge is furious, especially since this is not the first time that he has felt ridiculed by the director: authorized before the expertise to go abroad to prepare a new film, this one is was shown all smiles at the Oktoberfest in Munich … surrounded by young girls. Judge Rittenband had discovered it in the press.
An insane scenario
Determined to send Polanski back to cell, the judge develops an insane scenario. He summons all parties to his office. He explains that he has “change of opinion“ in front of the “media pressure“, reports Lawrence Silver, Samantha Geimer’s lawyer. To everyone’s amazement, he announces his intention to condemn Polanski “to an indefinite sentence, which means a prison sentence of up to fifty years“.
Then the judge sets out his “plan”: “When the pressure is off, we will have a hearing again, without announcing it. She will be discreet.“ Finally, still according to Lawrence Silver’s account, he turns to Polanski’s lawyer and says: “You will then ask me to reduce the sentence to the time already served in prison. I will accept it, and Mr. Polanski will be released.“
“A violation of the law”
Even the lawyer of the young Samantha cannot believe it: the judge defends himself and imposes an illegal arrangement! “Even though everyone had a different interest to defend, he confides, the three of us were like, ‘Something bad is going on here.’ And as such, Rittenband was unfair to Polanski. The judge’s attitude was clearly a violation of the law.“
The rest is known. Roman Polanski panics and makes a radical choice: he flees to France. The lawsuits are still ongoing in the United States.
Extract from “The accused Polanski”, a document to be reviewed in “Further investigation” on November 11, 2021.
> Replays of France Télévisions news magazines are available on the Franceinfo website and its mobile application (iOS & Android), “Magazines” section.