Polanski Loses Bid To Have Rape Case Thrown Out

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has lost his latest bid to end a criminal case for sexually assaulting a teen 40 years ago.

A Los Angeles judge rejected the defense's bid to have the years-long criminal case thrown out after the victim in the case, now-54-year-old Samantha Geimer, asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon back in June to bring the case to a close "as an act of mercy to myself and my family."

Polanski, 83, fled the U.S. in 1978 before he could be sentenced for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

The judge noted Geimer's testimony "is dramatic evidence of the long-lasting and traumatic effect these crimes, and
defendant's refusal to obey court orders and appear for sentencing, is having on her life," adding the court "may not dismiss the case merely because it could be in the victim's best interest."

Awarded an Oscar in 2002 for directing "The Pianist", Polanski fled to his native France in 1978 before his sentencing and still lives in Europe.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)