LOS ANGELES (CN) - A California appellate court on Monday refused to throw out a 30-year-old child-sex case against Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski, who complained of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct.
The three-judge panel said a lower court correctly ruled that Polanski first had to surrender to U.S. officials before pursuing his misconduct claims.
The panel disagreed with Polanski's argument earlier this month that the "fugitive disentitlement doctrine" did not apply to him because of the misconduct alleged.
The panel also noted it was "deeply concerned" about Polanski's allegations that the original judge and district attorney conspired to frame him after he struck a deal and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
"We do not disregard the extremely serious allegations of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct that have been brought forward, but urge the parties to take steps to investigate and to respond to the claims," the panel wrote.
The director has been a fugitive in France since his arrest earlier this year in Switzerland. He pleaded guilty to a single count of statutory rape after he was accused of having sex with a 13 ear old girl during a photo shoot in 1977.
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