A former prosecutor said on Wednesday he lied when he told a documentary film crew that he advised a judge handling Roman Polanski’s sex case that he should send the director to prison.
The statement later became part of the basis for a move by Polanski’s attorneys to dismiss the case against the fugitive director, who was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday.
“They interviewed me in the Malibu courthouse when I was still a DA [district attorney] and I embellished a story,” David Wells said in an interview about his statements to the makers of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.
“I’m a guy who cuts to the chase — I lied. It embarrasses the hell [out] of me,” he said.
Wells, 71, did not handle Polanski’s case but was assigned to the courtroom where it was heard and had frequent interactions with the judge.
Wells said he was sorry about making the comments for the documentary.
“I cost the DA’s office a lot of money and aggravation over this,” said Wells, who retired as a prosecutor more than two years ago.
Polanski was accused of plying a 13-year-old girl with champagne and a sedative drug during a modeling shoot in 1977 and raping her.
He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy.
The director pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse; in exchange, the remaining charges were dropped and the judge agreed to send Polanski to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. However, Polanski was released after 42 days and fled the country on the eve of his Feb. 1, 1978, sentencing after the judge reportedly told lawyers he planned to add more prison time.
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