Three judges in a California appeals court rejected a request to dismiss the case against Polanski yesterday (December 21).
The judges said that they were concerned about the facts of the case and outright rejected arguments from Polanski’s counsel. However, the judges did criticize prosecutors for having failed to review evidence of official misconduct in the case.
In 1978, Roman Polanski pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer, but fled the United States before he could be sentenced. The director has remained in Europe ever since leaving Los Angeles.
On September 26 of this year, Polanski was arrested in the Zurich airport on his way to a film festival. The filmmaker was to be honoured at the festival for a lifetime achievement in film. He spent more than two months in jail before being released on bail and place under house arrest at his home in the Swiss Alps.
Swiss authorities will decide in the coming weeks if the director will be extradited to the United States to face justice.