I've been hesitant to add one more voice to this back and forth, but I'm so surprised at some of the things I've read here that I'd like to go on record.

Politically, I'm pretty much a leftie and often suspicious of authority and the US legal system.
I have great affection for artists.

The material facts here (meaning, the only facts that I think matter) are these:
Polanski was 44 at the time of the underlying event.
The girl was 13.
Polanski offered her champagne and a partial quaalude, which she consumed.
Polanski had sex with her.

I've looked, but I don't see that Polanski has ever denied any of these points.

Roman Polanski should be brought back to the US. He should be given whatever opportunity others get to seek to withdraw his guilty plea. If he fails, he should be sentenced.

He should be prosecuted for his unlawful flight.

Sympathy on account of unfortunate circumstances in his background? How about sympathy for every unfortunate ghetto dweller who's never caught a break in his life. Polanski is not Jean Valjean.

Elsewhere on the web is an opinion piece, with which I agree, which argues, in essence, that if Polanski were "Father Polanski" instead of "French film director Polanski," his only apologist would be his Archbishop.

-Michael Scully
--Austin, TX