Polanski absentia bid dismissed by California court

A California appeals court dismissed a bid by Roman Polanski to be tried in absentia for his child sex case, clearing the way for the director to be extradited to the United States.

A California appeals court on Thursday dismissed a bid by Roman Polanski to be tried in absentia for his child sex case, clearing the way for the director to be extradited to the United States.

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California's 2nd District Court of Appeal denied an appeal filed by Polanski's legal team after a hearing in January, in which the film-maker's request to be sentenced without having to return from Europe was rejected.

Officials in Switzerland, where Polanski is under house arrest, said in February that a decision on whether to move forward with Polanski's extradition could not be made until the director exhausted his US appeals.