Keep Bailing

It’s the story bail bondsmen around the world are talking about:  A Swiss Court has just granted international film director Roman Polanski, 76, bail yesterday. The court reversed it’s previous rejection of setting a bail, saying it is now confident the high bond — 4.5 million — plus continued electronic monitoring of Polanski’s chalet in the Swiss resort of Gstaad, will compel him to remain in the country under house arrest.

Meanwhile, Swiss officials still continue to gauge whether or not they should extradite the infamous director to the United States, which has demanded his return.  The Swiss Justice Ministry tempered the court’s decision by announcing it will keep Polanski in jail for another ten days while it decides whether to appeal his release in Switzerland’s Supreme Court.  Ministry spokesman, Folco Galli, assured the public that a final decision would be made fast.

Polanski was arrested by Swiss police on Sept. 26. Having fled to France in 1978 after pleading guilty to one count of sex with an underage minor. Polanski’s legal team has been jockeying for bail ever since.

Victim Smantha Geimer, now 46, appeared in a Los Angeles Appellate Court to request that all charges against Polanski be dropped.  She said the renewed media attention caused by his most recent arrest has devastated her work and family life.  But after reviewing the case, the L.A. Superior Court ruled it could not be dismissed while Polanski was still a fugitive.

The case was further complicated after the Oscar-winning director settled a civil suit with Geimer, agreeing to pay her $500,000 in 1993.  No one knows if he paid the amount.