November 27, 2009
This is just wrong. He should have had to spend the time in jail while he fought extradition. As was, they let him out to go to the hospital at least twice. And Wednesday, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court gave him a deal: house arrest in his ski chalet in Gstaad Switzerland, monitoring bracelet, surrender of his passport and $4.5M bail.
It’s unclear why he was released. Twice the Swiss courts denied him bail, including the Minister of Justice, who told Swiss TV that he was not going to appeal Polanski’s bail ruling.
Interpol’s Secretary General Ronald K. Noble:
Given Mr. Polanski’s history of international travel while defying a judicial order, a $4.5 million bail and an electronic bracelet do not mean that law enforcement lets its global guard down. Mr. Polanski has given us more than 30 years of proof that he does not feel bound to respect any court decision with which he does not agree. The world law enforcement community should do all in its power to make sure that the Swiss judicial process is allowed to run its course, and if Mr Polanski defies the conditions of his release, no country should welcome, offer safe haven to, or defend his conduct.
LA prosecutors had scheduled a December 10th hearing.
ITN
