Polanski agreed to pay victim $500,000 – LA Times

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Film director Roman  Polanski agreed to pay the victim in his sex crime case at  least $500,000 as part of a civil settlement reached years  after he fled the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported  yesterday.

Polanski reached a confidential settlement in 1993 with  Samantha Geimer, the newspaper said, citing court filings made  available on Friday. The paper said it was not clear whether  the filmmaker paid her. The final document filed in August 1996  had him still owing Geimer $604,416, according to the Times.

Geimer has acknowledged reaching a civil settlement with  Polanski, the Times said.
Polanski, 76, was arrested in Switzerland last weekend on a  US warrant and his lawyers say he will fight extradition to  the United States where he faces a possible prison sentence for  pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old  Geimer in 1977.

The Oscar-winning director of The Pianist, Rosemary’s  Baby and Chinatown fled the United States in 1978. He had  served 42 days in detention but believed a judge would sentence  him to years behind bars despite having made a plea agreement  for time already served.

Lawyers for Polanski failed earlier this year to have the  case against him dismissed because of suspected judicial  misconduct in 1977. A Los Angeles judge ruled Polanski would  have to return to California before he would consider a  dismissal of the charges.