# Polanski falls for the old "We'd Like to Give You a Lifetime Achievement Award" Trick!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 27, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742 "2009-09-27T11:49:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/21 "2009-09-27T16:52:25Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Yep. As I understand it, justice serves four basic principles: punishing the guilty (as they deserve), providing vengeance for the victims (to prevent them from taking vengeance into their own hands, and as they deserve), rehabilitating the guilty/preventing them from being in society (so they won’t do it again), and warning other miscreants.
>
> The victim doesn’t want vengeance, AFAICT. Polanski is really unlikely to do it again, AFAICT. I’m not a big fan of punishing the guilty out of some sort of sense of cosmic justice.
>
> But the warning to other miscreants is a powerful force, and I’m all about pursuing this case as a warning to others.
If there’s evidence out there of significant deterrent value, I’d be surprised. Common thinking in my circle is that pedophiles can’t help themselves and will offend in spite of potential, well-known, dire consequences. I’d be happy to have my ignorance fought, however.
---
### Author:  [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/22 "2009-09-27T16:57:36Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Yep. As I understand it, justice serves four basic principles: punishing the guilty (as they deserve), providing vengeance for the victims (to prevent them from taking vengeance into their own hands, and as they deserve), rehabilitating the guilty/preventing them from being in society (so they won’t do it again), and warning other miscreants.
>
> The victim doesn’t want vengeance, AFAICT. Polanski is really unlikely to do it again, AFAICT. I’m not a big fan of punishing the guilty out of some sort of sense of cosmic justice.
>
> But the warning to other miscreants is a powerful force, and I’m all about pursuing this case as a warning to others.
Our justice system is not based on whether the victim forgives the attacker. She can forgive him all day long, until the cows come home, until the fat lady sings, until pigs fly and the lion lays down with the lamb and we find meaning in a Pauley Shore movie. Polanski committed a heinous crime and he deserves to be punished for it. Whether you’re a fan or not of punishing the guilty for the crimes they knowingly committed to satisfy ‘cosmic justice’ is completely irrelevant.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/23 "2009-09-27T17:24:55Z")
The 13 year old girl’s mother was the “[Ourisman Girl](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061703227.html)” who disappeared into the wood work sometime after in the incident.
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### Author:  [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/24 "2009-09-27T17:34:29Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Yep. As I understand it, justice serves four basic principles: punishing the guilty (as they deserve), providing vengeance for the victims (to prevent them from taking vengeance into their own hands, and as they deserve), rehabilitating the guilty/preventing them from being in society (so they won’t do it again), and warning other miscreants.
Very, very, very well-put.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/25 "2009-09-27T17:38:30Z")
He fled the court. He will not be selecting his entree for breakfast for a very long time.
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### Author:  [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/26 "2009-09-27T17:41:51Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#):
>
> Our justice system is not based on whether the victim forgives the attacker.
No, but keep in mind that Polanski’s already been convicted. All that remains is the sentencing and in American jurisprudence, the victim’s feelings (or family’s if the victim is dead) **are** taken into account.
As a more general statement, I’m glad that your great search for cosmic justice is so clear-cut that you’re completely comfortable fucking the victim over to satisfy your own blood-lust. Must be nice to be so sure of your god-like place in the grand scheme of things. Me, I tend to worry about things like making the victim’s life hell again (and again and again).
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### Author:  [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/27 "2009-09-27T17:57:59Z")
I’m more interested in making the child-sodomizer’s life a living hell. I hope they also charge him for fleeing the country.
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### Author:  [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/28 "2009-09-27T18:15:36Z")
What’s the statue of limitations on this?
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### Author:  [@technos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/technos)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/29 "2009-09-27T18:16:06Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> No, but keep in mind that Polanski’s already been convicted. All that remains is the sentencing and in American jurisprudence, the victim’s feelings (or family’s if the victim is dead) **are** taken into account.
>
> As a more general statement, I’m glad that your great search for cosmic justice is so clear-cut that you’re completely comfortable fucking the victim over to satisfy your own blood-lust. Must be nice to be so sure of your god-like place in the grand scheme of things. Me, I tend to worry about things like making the victim’s life hell again (and again and again).
I bet he has to answer for the fact that fled the court, which could involve more jail time. Beyond that, I think your last paragraph proves the point “Justice delayed is justice denied.” It’s not any one person’s “blood lust,” but the society at large that needs to see justice for themselves. I personally was offended that he would be able to stand up to receive a reward, but could never stand up and face the court. (the lifetime achievement award seemed hghly oxymoronic). The documentary made about this case on his behalf was interesting, but it really is hard [sugar coating the truth](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html) which to this day he seems unrepentant for.
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### Author:  [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/30 "2009-09-27T18:17:08Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> As a more general statement, I’m glad that your great search for cosmic justice is so clear-cut that you’re completely comfortable fucking the victim over to satisfy your own blood-lust. Must be nice to be so sure of your god-like place in the grand scheme of things. Me, I tend to worry about things like making the victim’s life hell again (and again and again).
How is the victim being “fucked” other than in the sense that this case is now in the news again and she and her family will just have to avoid it? The victim is not required to appear or make a statement at sentencing. There will likely be a second flurry of motions to have the plea agreement set aside (like his attorneys did earlier this year), but it’s likely that sentencing will go forward. Once that’s done, his appeal rights will kick in and it will be like any other criminal case in which the appeals process will take another few years.
[QUOTE=Estilicon]
What’s the statue of limitations on this?
[/QUOTE]
The statute of limitations no longer apply, since he already signed and entered into the plea agreement. Otherwise, anyone on the run, whether before or after a plea was signed, could simply wait out the clock while on the lamb.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/31 "2009-09-27T18:21:37Z")
Will the Swiss have him hacked to death by halberdiers dressed in garish, multicolored 16th-century outfits? Like [these guys?](http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/macaromancer/Landsknecht.jpg) Please? Pretty please?
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### Author:  [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/32 "2009-09-27T18:46:25Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> No, but keep in mind that Polanski’s already been convicted. All that remains is the sentencing and in American jurisprudence, the victim’s feelings (or family’s if the victim is dead) **are** taken into account.
>
> As a more general statement, I’m glad that your great search for cosmic justice is so clear-cut that you’re completely comfortable fucking the victim over to satisfy your own blood-lust. Must be nice to be so sure of your god-like place in the grand scheme of things. Me, I tend to worry about things like making the victim’s life hell again (and again and again).
Yeah, because considerations regarding the integrity of our justice system don’t enter into it.
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### Author:  [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/33 "2009-09-27T18:57:17Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> No, but keep in mind that Polanski’s already been convicted. All that remains is the sentencing and in American jurisprudence, the victim’s feelings (or family’s if the victim is dead) **are** taken into account.
>
> As a more general statement, I’m glad that your great search for cosmic justice is so clear-cut that y **ou’re completely comfortable fucking the victim over to satisfy your own blood-lust**. Must be nice to be so sure of your god-like place in the grand scheme of things. Me, I tend to worry about things like making the victim’s life hell again (and again and again).
Don’t get confused – I wasn’t the one who raped the victim up her ass. Polanski did that.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/34 "2009-09-27T19:00:27Z")
> [@Estilicon](#):
>
> What’s the statue of limitations on this?
[Same as it always has been.](http://blog.radioleft.com/blogimages/StatueOfLimitations.jpg)
Unless you meant statute, which I don’t know. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/35 "2009-09-27T19:17:31Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#):
>
> 1. Raping a child following her drugging.
> 2. Then anally raping her to prevent a possible pregnancy
Although a woman can get pregnant from anal intercourse. She rests on her stomach and the semen can migrate into her vagina & cervix.
Hard to believe that one wouldn’t think to look for a ready supply of condoms at Jack Nicholson’s house.
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### Author:  [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/36 "2009-09-27T19:30:17Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> As I understand it, there are significant questions about judicial/prosecutorial misconduct in the matter of the sentencing. My guess is that the Swiss will end up not extraditing.
Which should have been dealt with in the US court system via appeals rather than by him fleeing. Meaning he should have done what every other defendant has to do and that is defend himself via our justice system. He decided not to do just that and instead used his wealth and connections to flee justice. To run away, to commit another crime to avoid sentencing on a crime he was convicted of. This isn’t some miscarridge of justice or a vendetta.
He should serve time in a US prison. He’s a child rapist and should pay for his crime. End of story.
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### Author:  [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/37 "2009-09-27T19:34:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> [Same as it always has been.](http://blog.radioleft.com/blogimages/StatueOfLimitations.jpg)
>
> Unless you meant statute, which I don’t know. 🙂
Your link doesn’t work but thanks for pointing out my mistake. Why can´t you people use a simpler legal language?
I almost used “prescription” (the same concept in spanish).
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### Author:  [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/38 "2009-09-27T20:40:30Z")
> [@bienville](#):
>
> I’m wondering if in thirty years of living in France this is his first time entering Switzerland, or if it’s that only recently Swiss policy has turned anti 13 year old girl rape.
>
> He certainly went into Switzerland not expecting any trouble.
They waited until Susan Atkins (the murderer of Polanski’s wife) died before they would arrest him.
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### Author:  [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/39 "2009-09-27T21:02:30Z")
> [@Lochdale](#):
>
> Which should have been dealt with in the US court system via appeals rather than by him fleeing. Meaning he should have done what every other defendant has to do and that is defend himself via our justice system. He decided not to do just that and instead used his wealth and connections to flee justice. To run away, to commit another crime to avoid sentencing on a crime he was convicted of. This isn’t some miscarridge of justice or a vendetta.
You mean, like it was dealt with after he ran away? The misconduct has been known about for quite a while and AFAIK nothing was ever done about it.
> [@](#):
>
> He should serve time in a US prison. He’s a child rapist and should pay for his crime. End of story.
So you’re saying that after the prosecutor, judge, and defendant come to an agreement, the judge should simply unilaterally be able to change his mind and make the sentence whatever he wants? Why bother having the fucking trial? Hang the fucker and get it over with. But don’t call it justice.
At this point, not only has there been no justice in this case, I don’t see how we get there from here.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanski-falls-for-the-old-wed-like-to-give-you-a-lifetime-achievement-award-trick/511742/40 "2009-09-27T21:16:39Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#):
>
> You mean, like it was dealt with after he ran away? The misconduct has been known about for quite a while and AFAIK nothing was ever done about it.
Except one of the basic principles of criminal procedure is that nothing happens on a criminal case unless the accused is participating. Even if the prosecutors tried to move to set aside a decision by the court, they would have to have his involvement. Mr. Polanski has made it clear for thirty some years that he’s not interested in doing that, so the case has been in limbo for that period.
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