RSS FeedWhy did Polanski flee?
Polanski may choose to go to U.S.
Elizabeth Pineau writes:
Film director Roman Polanski, now in Swiss detention, may decide to face justice in the United States, where he is wanted on a 1977 sex charge, to avoid lengthy extradition procedures, one of his lawyers said today.
The article says Polanski feared a 50-year sentence. If you had reasons to believe you’d get 50 years in prison for something like what he did, would you run from the law?
A story of crime (?) and punishment (!)
If a teacher and a student fall in love and have a consensual sexual encounter, should the teacher go to jail for 10 years? What if the student is of the age of consent? What if both of them are female? This is a real case: a trial court in Georgia convicted a woman of sexual assault on her female student and sentenced the teacher to 10 years in jail plus 5 years of probation. The court rejected the consent defence. Although, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned the trial court on this point, the real possibility of 10 years in jail for an encounter with an of-age student lover is shocking. It does not serve the state interest in protecting children, places a disproportionate burden on teachers, and is possibly in this case a product of homophobia.
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