A former prosecutor said he lied to a film crew about advising a judge to send director Roman Polanski to prison more than 30 years ago.
David F. Wells is depicted conferring with now-deceased trial judge Laurence J. Rittenband about Polanski's case in the HBO documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. In the film, Wells said the judge took his advice to renege on a plea bargain and sentence Polanski to additional jail time.
Watch Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
"I made that up to make the stuff look better," Wells told The Associated Press, adding that he overstated his role after he was told the film would air in France, not in the United States. "They interviewed me in the Malibu courthouse when I was still a DA, and I embellished a story. I'm a guy who cuts to the chase — I lied. It embarrasses the hell of me."
Wells, now retired for more than two years, didn't handle Polanski's case, but he was ...
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Question: I was very disturbed by your article supporting Roman Polanski, most particularly, your trivialization of charges against him for the rape of a minor. First of all, I read the original reports, including allegations that he drugged her. But, even if that was not the case and no other substances besides alcohol was involved, a 13-year-old can not give consent as I am sure both you and Mr. Polanski are well aware of. At best, he got a young girl drunk and committed statutory rape. At worst, he drugged her and raped her. Neither scenario seems to concern you during your glamorization of this pedophile. I really don't care how gifted a purported "genius" is. Nothing ever justifies the violation of another person's body, most especially a child's.
Answer: Is it too soon for me to go on vacation again? For the record, it is possible to praise a documentary without praising the subject of said film. I was not "supporting" Roman Polanski by giving the HBO documentary Roman Polanski:
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