Roman Polanski appears for extradition hearing in Polish court - Action News
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Entertainment

Roman Polanski appears for extradition hearing in Polish court

Filmmaker Roman Polanski testified at a hearing in Poland on Wednesday regarding a U.S. request for his extradition over a 1977 child sex crime conviction, though the court said it needed more time to make a decision.

Justice minister will ultimately decide if court is in favour of extradition

Filmmaker Roman Polanski arrives for a court hearing in Krakow on Wednesday at a hearing to consider a U.S. request for his extradition over a 1977 child sex crime conviction. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

Filmmaker Roman Polanski testified at a hearing in Poland on Wednesday regarding a U.S. request for his extradition over a 1977 child sex crime conviction, though the court said it needed more time to make a decision.

Dariusz Mazur, the judge presiding over the case in the southern Polish city of Krakow, said the court could not make a ruling on Wednesday since it still had to consider additional documents submitted by Polanski's lawyers.

"The proceeding will not be finished today," Mazur said.

Mazur said the filmmaker's lawyers had handed in preliminary documents in English and in German from his unsuccessful extradiction proceedings in Switzerland in 2010.

Polanski's hearing was closed to the media.

Under Polish law, if the court rules in favour of the extradition request, it will then be passed on to the justice minister who will make the final decision on whether to hand over Polanski to the U.S. authorities.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles fuelled by champagne and drugs.

Polanski served 42 days in jail as part of a 90-day plea bargain. He fled the United States the following year, believing the judge hearing his case could overrule the deal and put him in jail for years.

In 2009, Polanski was arrested in Zurich on a U.S. warrant and placed under house arrest. He was freed in 2010 after Swiss authorities decided not to extradite him.