# Polanski's arrest: Why Switzerland? Why Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432 "2009-10-03T03:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/1 "2009-10-03T03:26:41Z")
Roman Ploanski has been a fugitive living in France for 30 years. He travels to Switzerland to attend a festival in his honor and gets arrested. What happened? Was this the first time Polanski traveled outside France? Was it the first time he traveled to Switzerland? If he had traveled to Switzerland before, why hadn’t he been arrested then? What changed? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/2 "2009-10-03T03:40:26Z")
He has a chalet in Switzerland, but in one of the articles I’ve seen, the D.A.'s office has said that under Swiss extradition law, the requesting country has to provide precise information about where and when the target will be in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/3 "2009-10-03T03:47:18Z")
There can be no factual answer to this, just speculation. Polanski has a home in Switzerland. He’s traveled there many times. I don’t believe the U.S. government ever contacted the Swiss authorities before this. [An Op-Ed piece in the Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30harris.html?scp=6&sq=roman%20polanski&st=cse) stated that: > [@](#): > > On only five occasions — right at the outset, when he flew to London; in 1986, when it was rumored he might visit Canada; in 1988, when it was suggested he might be headed to Brazil, or elsewhere in Europe; in 2005, when he went to Thailand; and in 2007, when he visited Israel — do overseas authorities seem to have been contacted by the district attorney with specific information about his presence. The LA D.A.'s office says it was merely a matter of opportunity, knowing exactly where he would be at a certain time. The speculative part comes from this other [Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/movies/02polanski.html). Last year a documentary, “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” by Marina Zenovich filmed original prosecutor David Wells as saying that he coached the judge in the case as to the desired outcome. Wells has now recanted that interview and claimed that he lied to the filmmaker. > [@](#): > > “I had to own up,” he said, acknowledging that coaching of the kind he described, if it had really occurred, might have subjected him to professional action for unethical conduct. The judge in question is no longer alive. A filmed admission of misconduct can’t go unnoticed. Law enforcement officials hate to be shown up. I don’t think we know enough about what’s going on behind the scenes to put two and two together. Wells’ actions are so beyond bizarre that my opinion is we ain’t heard nothing yet. I gave the only factual answer, the statement from the D.A. Check the threads in GD and elsewhere for more speculation. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/4 "2009-10-03T17:04:01Z")
To add to the “why now” in the topic line, it has been pointed out that California is effectively bankrupt and the Polanski affair could cost a whole bunch of money that might be better used elsewhere. Convicting celebrities might be attract some bit of positive attention when there is money but come next election a lot of contenders are going to point to the expense. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/5 "2009-10-03T17:25:52Z")
Polanski has already been convicted. It doesn’t cost anything more to throw him in a state pen. I can think of no better use of money than incarcerating a child rapist. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/6 "2009-10-03T17:26:43Z")
The claim that “they” had to know an exact time and place to make an arrest sets off my BS alarm. First of all, it appears that he has traveled extensively over the past 30 years. It’s hard to imagine that each country he traveled to has the same “exact time and place” extradition requirement. Furthermore, he owns a stinkin’ chalet in Switzerland. How hard would it be to find a cooperative neighbor, shopkeeper, delivery man, etc. to notify the DA’s office when he was in town? Something else is going on here. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/7 "2009-10-06T05:56:34Z")
The Swiss Minister of Justice is quoted as saying that if the Swiss authorities had been aware of the times of Polanski’s previous visits, they would have arrested him. [Swiss say would have arrested Polanski earlier](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5930RE20091004): > [@](#): > > Switzerland would have arrested film director Roman Polanski on earlier visits to the country if justice authorities had been aware of his presence, a Swiss minister said in an interview published on Sunday. > > Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said her department had only been aware of previous visits by Polanski, who owns a chalet in Swiss resort Gstaad, after the event. > > “This time we knew that he would be coming. After all, the organizers of the Zurich Film Festival had actively made it known,” Widmer-Schlumpf was quoted as saying by Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung. > … > “Switzerland is a constitutional state and Mr Polanski should always have counted on being disturbed on his earlier stays as well,” Widmer-Schlumpf said. > > If Polanski had been involved in a traffic accident, for example, his personal details would have been checked and the Justice Department informed, she said. > > “The arrest of Mr Polanski has been sought worldwide by Interpol since 2005. If he comes to Switzerland, we are duty bound to fulfil the arrest as a treaty partner of the United States,” she added. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/8 "2009-10-06T14:24:20Z")
The only part of that article I found credible was this: > [@](#): > > Polanski was stunned (by the arrest), according to his lawyer, because he was a regular visitor to Switzerland. I’ll bet he was stunned! Here’s what I think happened: The Swiss didn’t want to arrest Polanski for whatever reason, and kept giving the excuse that they never knew when he was entering the country. When the Americans found out about the film festival, they call Switzerland’s bluff. The Swiss - wanting to remain a respected member of the international community - had to cooperate at that point. We’ll see if any of this gets validated in the days to come. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/9 "2009-10-06T14:58:35Z")
I was suprised how easy it was to pass thru Switzerland last summer while I was riding with a coworker from Germany to Italy. We stopped at the border and my friend got out and showed him his passport and paid a road use tax and we were off. Even though Switzerland isn’t part of the European Union and I am from the States I didn’t have to show anyone any identification. In fact, on the return trip we didn’t stop at all and were just waived thru along with a long line of Italians going to their villas for the weekend. So in short, the Swiss don’t really care or track peoples comings and goings; Polanski just got cockey and formally replied to an invitation to a party in his honor like common criminals going to those free give aways sponsered by the police. His arrogance did him in. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/10 "2009-10-06T15:01:57Z")
From what I hear, Polanski’s lawyers had filed papers requesting dismissal of the charges, which may have pissed off the prosecutor’s office enough to get them working on the extradition again. No idea if this is true or not. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/11 "2009-10-06T16:28:14Z")
According to > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > … It doesn’t cost anything more … ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/12 "2009-10-08T07:12:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Polanski was stunned (by the arrest), according to his lawyer, because he was a regular visitor to Switzerland. Of course he was stunned! Sure, he was arrested, charged, and convicted in the U.S. of a felony. Yes, he hightailed it out of the U.S. right before he was sentenced. Sure, the U.S. had asked France and Switzerland for his extradition, But he’s an _Artist_. Doesn’t that get you a free pass on something like this? What type of world we live in when a convicted felon can get arrested while he’s on his way to a party to celebrate how wonderful he is? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/13 "2009-10-08T12:56:43Z")
Just to be clear - I wasn’t suggesting any sympathy towards Polanski, but after 30 years of living the good life after raping a minor, he was probably not expecting this. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/14 "2009-10-08T13:34:32Z")
The U.S. told Polanski they would arrest him any day from 1978 up until the award ceremony, and it would be a surprise. They arrested him at the awards, and it was a surprise 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/15 "2009-10-09T03:28:21Z")
The US didn’t arrest the fugitive. Switzerland did. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/16 "2009-10-09T03:32:07Z")
Switzerland has recently developed an unprecedented sense of cooperation with U.S. law. Earlier this year, they were suddenly willing to hand over information about Americans’ Swiss bank accounts. I suspect that if we knew exactly what had changed their mind about the bank accounts, we might have a good idea why they’ve changed their mind about Polanski. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/17 "2009-10-09T04:08:13Z")
Actually, there wasn’t an award ceremony. It was a sting operation. "Hello, Mr. Polanski? Yes, we are a group of European artists who have no links to the U.S. government. And, we want to give you a special lifetime achievement award, and want to present you with some …uh… cufflinks and present you with a special certificate outlining all of your …uh… _achievements_. No, it’s no problem. We’ve been wanting to do this for years. Why yes, a whole slew of people will be there waiting for your arrival. We even chartered a special jet just for you." ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/18 "2009-10-09T05:38:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Polanski was stunned (by the arrest), according to his lawyer, because he was a regular visitor to Switzerland. No-body expects the Swiss Extradition! ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/19 "2009-10-09T08:44:32Z")
> [@Tabula\_Rasa](#): > > I suspect that if we knew exactly what had changed their mind about the bank accounts, we might have a good idea why they’ve changed their mind about Polanski. I’m betting the CIA has secret photos of [Hans-Rudolf Merz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Rudolf_Merz) & [Corina Casanova](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corina_Casanova) in compromising positions… ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432/20 "2009-10-09T12:48:17Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Last year a documentary, “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” by Marina Zenovich filmed original prosecutor David Wells as saying that he coached the judge in the case as to the desired outcome. > > Wells has now recanted that interview and claimed that he lied to the filmmaker. David Wells wasn’t the prosecutor on the case when the alleged coaching happened. Knowing what I do about the court system I’d personally be incredulous if a judge took marching orders from a prosecutor. My impression is the judge was whipped into a media frenzy and didn’t like the original deal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polanskis-arrest-why-switzerland-why-now/512432.md?page=2)