the law

Roman Polanski Loses Court Case for Academy Reinstatement

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Roman Polanski’s request to be reinstated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was denied on Tuesday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel. Polanski had sued the Academy back in April, claiming that they had not given him “reasonable notice” of his expulsion in May 2018. Per Variety, Strobel found that although the Academy had not given Polanski advance notice when they initially expelled him in May 2018, they later gave him a fair hearing and reevaluated his case before upholding his expulsion in January 2019. “Board had cause to expel Petitioner. While the Board could have found the circumstances surrounding Petitioner’s continued fugitive status, including his allegations of serious judicial and prosecutorial misconduct, mitigated the need for expulsion, the Board’s decision is supported by the evidence, was not arbitrary or capricious, and was not an abuse of discretion,” Strobel wrote in her ruling. Polanski’s attorney, Harland Braun, told Deadline that Polanski will likely not appeal. Polanski fled the U.S. after being convicted of the 1977 rape of then-13-year-old Samantha Geimer, and has since been accused of other sexual assaults.

Roman Polanski Loses Court Case for Academy Reinstatement