Polanski Agreed to Pay Victim $500K, but Records Indicate He Stalled

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Oct 3rd 2009 09:30AM

Film director Roman Polanski agreed to pay his sexual assault victim $500,000 to settle a lawsuit 15 years after he fled the United States, according to court documents. Polanski and the victim, Samantha Geimer, reached the deal in October 1993. The terms of the settlement were confidential, but the amount was disclosed in court documents because of a two-year struggle to get Polanski to pay.

Court records, which were provided to media outlets Friday, do not indicate if Polanski ever paid. The last court filing in August 1996 shows Polanski, now 76, owed Geimer $604,416.22, including interest.

Polanski's attorney, David Finkle, said he couldn't remember details of the case and declined comment.

"It's ancient," Finkle said.

A phone message left for Geimer's attorney, Lawrence Silver, wasn't immediately returned. Geimer and her family also have not returned calls this week seeking comment.

Polanski was accused of plying Geimer, then a 13-year-old girl, with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill during a modeling shoot in 1977 and raping her. He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy.

Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse and a judge sent him to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. However, he was released after 42 days by an evaluator who deemed him mentally sound and unlikely to offend again.

The judge responded by saying he was going to send Polanski back to jail for the remainder of the 90 days and that afterward he would ask Polanski to agree to a "voluntary deportation." Polanski then fled the country the night before he was scheduled to be sentenced, Feb. 1, 1978.

Polanski, who won an Academy Award for best director for "The Pianist," was arrested last weekend in Switzerland on a fugitive warrant in the case.

Geimer, who long ago identified herself, sued Polanski in December 1988 when she was 25 years old, alleging sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and seduction. She has since joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal and has forgiven him.

In a December 1995 filing, Silver said "defendant has failed to pay any part of the sum due or the interest due on the attached note." Silver added that he talked to Finkle, who agreed Polanski was in default.

Silver then sought some of Polanski's earnings by canvassing Hollywood for his wages. Among those who were contacted about Polanski were the Directors Guild of America, International Creative Management, Warner Bros. Inc. and Sony Studios.

ICM head and Polanski agent Jeff Berg declined comment.

If Polanski hasn't paid over the past 14 years, it's unclear if he would have to pay interest. The court documents state he'd owe $128.42 per day, for a total of about $650,000.

Tags: roman polanski, RomanPolanski

Comments

(72)

Sunday 04 October

By Arty

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Those of you on "high moral ground" WHY aren't you prosecuting the rapper party guys, who rape, molest, sodomise, prostitute and give drugs and alcohol to YOUNG FEMALE CHILDREN ? prosectue all those "baby daddies" who got the 12 and 13 year old girls pregnant. You dont have to chase Roman Polanski, a Halacaust survivor who had his wife and child brutally killed by Manson family. Chase after the adult males who abuse young black girls right here at home. Do they think the little black girls are not worth it? Oh, please !!! deal with the inner city abuse of young black women!!!

By meatwad

the film industry is well known for being full of garbage. there are numerous examples of entertainment folk who live in a world where being human is only acceptable on film, and in all other aspects of life, they venerate evil. only desperate degenerates who can't find jobs with non-criminals could find a way to forgive a child rapist of his transgression against society, and help him by working on his films. i suppose they have a 'social contract' with eachother that makes them think they are doing something amazing by making money off of a rapist furthering his art career. SHAME ON THEM! the fact is that these people will do anything to be famous, even hitch their names to the child-rape wagon. i have never watched a polanski film, and i wonder, how can the public watch his stuff, and not be constantly thinking about what he did? i would find it impossible to separate the two.

By third axis pin

Polanski and all of the Follywood elites that signed the petition to support him are a bunch spoiled babies who just can't seem to grasp the fact that law applies to them too. They play make believe for a living and contribute absolutly nothing to society. Every now and then reality comes knocking. Maybe a boycott of anything produced by the sickos on that list is in order.If a 46 year old man raped and sodomized my 13 year old daughter there would be no trial no court date no Judge no lawyers no money wasted on yet another sick child molester. There would however be one real messy wood chipper. God Bless!!!

By Karen

To me it doesn't matter that the woman herself doesn't want him arrested. He broke the law by committing the crime, he should do the time! I don't care that he is in his 70's. He should have faced the music a long time ago!

Tuesday 06 October

By barb

NO TELLING HOW MANY MORE LITTLE UNDERAGE GIRLS HE HAS RAPED. WITH HIS MONEY HE COULD BUY A LITTLE GIRL ANYTIME HE WANTED. COME ON PEOPLE SURLEY YOU DON'T BELIVE HE HAS VENTURED THROUGH THIS LIFE WITH ONLY ONE DO YOU.

By Paul

Pedophiles do not get any better, therefore should be put to sleep on their first offence. It is not the 13 year olds place to forgive, thereby putting millions of innocent children in danger.

Monday 05 October

By miriam

Not only is he a child molester, but he is a cheap basturd to boot. I say it's about time they throw him in jail and sue his ass for 1 million.

By Wolfman

POLANSKY WAS ALWAYS AND STILL IS A PERVERT. JUST ASK CHARLIE MANSON ABOUT ALL THE DRUGS HE BOUGHT OR STOLE FROM HIM AND PHIL SPECTOR IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUNG HOLLYWOOD PARTY WOMAN-------THE WOLFMAN-------

By Sue

This is discusting that ppl from Hollywood would defend this sick behavior. If this man was a blue collor. They would have a different oppinion. Or if it were there child???? This man raped a 13 year old child. fled the country to avoid due plrocess. Lived in luxury all these years. I have no respect for Debrah Winger anymore. And of course. Woody Allen would defend him. After all he is a pervert himself. I am sorry for the problem Polanski had. With his wife being murdered and everything. But, that is no excuse for him raping a 13 year old girl. If any pervert comes close to my daughter or son for that matter. He better hope the police get to him before I do. HOLLYWOOD: YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE YOUR FAMOUS > SHAME ON YOU!! THIS JUST SHOWS HOW SPOILED: THEY SEEM TO STAND UP FOR THIS SICK MAN: EVEN RICH PRODUCERS SHOULDN'G GET AWAY WITH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR!!!!

By colin

hang the mother trucker

By anne

I think people should have to pay for thier crimes.What kind of sick person would do such a thing in the first place.

By JoyRptr

No doubt he is a very sick man. Any person who looks at a child and thinks "SEX" is sick. And there is no telling how many other young girls are out there trying to forget what he did to them over the last few years. A perv is a perv is a perv and they don't get better with time (or with the good old catch and release system we have seen through the years). I don't care how many bad things a person has lived through, it does not give them the right to abuse others. I'm so sick of hearing that crap. "I had a hard life, no one loved me, people did bad things to me, I was abused, I was angry cause people treated me wrong....." SICK OF IT!

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