Roman Polanski's Arrest: Is it Better to Be Rich and Guilty Than Poor and Innocent?

Roman Polanski's arrest has resulted in home confinement with an electronic monitoring device attached to his body, as reported at TMZ. The 76-year-old director of such movies as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist, who fled the United States to avoid prison after being charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, posted $4.5 million for bail. Currently, you can find Roman Polanski lounging inside his 19,000 square foot, three story Swiss chalet as he continues to fight extradition.

Is it better to be rich and guilty than poor and innocent?

Before Roman Polanski's arrest, he had been living the life of a free man since 1978. There is no question that Polanski is a gifted director. His accolades include a Best Director Oscar for The Pianist, an Oscar he was unable to receive in person because he was on the run, living in another country. Now the time has come for Polanski to face the music. Or has it? You can't post $4.5 million dollars in bail unless you're rich. You can't afford the best defense attorneys unless you're rich. In addition, rich and powerful celebrities in Hollywood, such as Whoopi Goldberg, have come to Polanski's defense. The saying goes - it's better to be rich and guilty than poor and innocent. Hire the best defense attorneys, get the rich and powerful on your side, and the chances of Roman Polanski never having to return to the United States to face jail time are good.

After Roman Polanski's arrest, should he be extradited or should all be forgiven?

Roman Polanski was convicted of sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl back in 1978. It's been over 30 years. However, many feel that just because a case is old doesn't mean that justice should not be served.

A cold case detective is one who works on cases that have not been solved, even if those cases are extremely old. A person can be brought to justice for a murder, for example, even if that murder happened 30 years ago. Roman Polanksi was convicted of the crime and fled to France to escape sentencing in the United States. If he comes back to the United States to face a judge, he may spend the rest of his life in jail. Some would say that's a small price for having over 30 years of freedom and for taking the innocence of a minor.

Sources:

Roman Polanski Bails Free to Roam, TMZ

Alex Leo, SNL Mocks Whoopi Goldberg For Uninformed Roman Polanski Defense (VIDEO), Huffington Post