Judge Peter Espinoza

A Los Angeles prosecutor urged a judge on Friday to deny Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in a three-decade-old child-sex case without surrendering to U.S. authorities. In papers filed in Superior Court, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren wrote that sentencing in absentia was "absolutely inappropriate" given Polanski's continued refusal to return to the United States. Polanski, "as a fugitive and convicted child rapist, must not be permitted to instruct this court how to proceed."

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Friday denied Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in absentia, scuttling the director's latest bid to end his three-decade-old child sex case. Polanski hoped that such a sentencing would allow his lawyers to lay out evidence of judicial misconduct in his case and secure him a sentence of no further time behind bars. Although a state appeals panel had suggested that Polanski be sentenced in absentia, as the director is facing extradition proceedings in Switzerland, Judge Peter Espinoza said he was not bound by the higher court's suggestion.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge turned aside fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski's request to have another jurisdiction handle his attempt to have a 31-year-old child sex case dismissed. In a nine-page order Friday, Judge Peter Espinoza said the Academy Award-winning director had not shown any grounds to disqualify him or the entire court, which, he noted, includes 600 judicial officers working in 50 courthouses.

A judge has rejected director Roman Polanski's bid to be sentenced in absentia in a three-decade-old child-sex case. Judge Peter Espinoza ruled that Polanski, 76, will have to come back Los Angeles to be sentenced. "I have made it clear he needs to surrender," the judge said. Polanski's attorneys said they would appeal. The famed film director is under house arrest in Switzerland, where he is waiting to learn whether the Swiss government will extradite him to the U.S. to face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

A Los Angeles prosecutor urged a judge today to deny Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in a three-decade-old child sex case without surrendering to U.S. authorities. In papers filed in Superior Court, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren wrote that sentencing in absentia was "absolutely inappropriate" given Polanski's continued refusal to return to the U.S. Polanski "as a fugitive and convicted child rapist, must not be permitted to instruct this court how to proceed." "Mr. Polanski must surrender," the prosecutor wrote in the filing submitted to Judge Peter Espinoza in advance of a Jan. 22 hearing.

As Roman Polanski enters his second week under house arrest at his Swiss chalet today, his American legal team is scheduled to face off with the prosecutors seeking his extradition in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. The issue before a state appellate court predates Polanski's September arrest in Zurich and concerns the nuances of a 19th-century legal doctrine. But if the three-judge panel sides with Polanski, the ruling could set the stage for the possible dismissal of the director's 1977 case and his release from detention.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Friday denied Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in absentia, scuttling the director's latest bid to end his three-decade-old child sex case. Polanski hoped that such a sentencing would allow his lawyers to lay out evidence of judicial misconduct in his case and secure him a sentence of no further time behind bars. Although a state appeals panel had suggested that Polanski be sentenced in absentia, as the director is facing extradition proceedings in Switzerland, Judge Peter Espinoza said he was not bound by the higher court's suggestion.

A judge has rejected director Roman Polanski's bid to be sentenced in absentia in a three-decade-old child-sex case. Judge Peter Espinoza ruled that Polanski, 76, will have to come back Los Angeles to be sentenced. "I have made it clear he needs to surrender," the judge said. Polanski's attorneys said they would appeal. The famed film director is under house arrest in Switzerland, where he is waiting to learn whether the Swiss government will extradite him to the U.S. to face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

An 18-year-old woman who pursued fame on a cable TV reality show after being prosecuted for her role in the "bling ring" celebrity burglary case agreed Monday to plead no contest to felony residential burglary and was sentenced to six months in jail. Alexis Neiers was a relatively minor player in the burglary ring but took on an outsized role when her arrest and prosecution coincided with production of the E! Entertainment reality show "Pretty Wild," about her and her two sisters growing up in the fast lane in suburban Los Angeles as an aspiring Hollywood starlet.

Roman Polanski must make his case for the dismissal of a 1977 statutory rape charge before a judge in Los Angeles, an appellate court ruled Monday. A three-judge panel in the 2nd District of the Court of Appeals rejected an attempt by lawyers for Polanski to have all 600 judges in the L.A. County Superior Court disqualified from hearing the dismissal request. The Academy Award-winner's attorneys had argued that statements by a court spokesman showed bias against Polanski.

A Los Angeles prosecutor urged a judge on Friday to deny Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in a three-decade-old child-sex case without surrendering to U.S. authorities. In papers filed in Superior Court, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren wrote that sentencing in absentia was "absolutely inappropriate" given Polanski's continued refusal to return to the United States. Polanski, "as a fugitive and convicted child rapist, must not be permitted to instruct this court how to proceed."

A Los Angeles prosecutor urged a judge today to deny Roman Polanski's request to be sentenced in a three-decade-old child sex case without surrendering to U.S. authorities. In papers filed in Superior Court, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren wrote that sentencing in absentia was "absolutely inappropriate" given Polanski's continued refusal to return to the U.S. Polanski "as a fugitive and convicted child rapist, must not be permitted to instruct this court how to proceed." "Mr. Polanski must surrender," the prosecutor wrote in the filing submitted to Judge Peter Espinoza in advance of a Jan. 22 hearing.

As Roman Polanski enters his second week under house arrest at his Swiss chalet today, his American legal team is scheduled to face off with the prosecutors seeking his extradition in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. The issue before a state appellate court predates Polanski's September arrest in Zurich and concerns the nuances of a 19th-century legal doctrine. But if the three-judge panel sides with Polanski, the ruling could set the stage for the possible dismissal of the director's 1977 case and his release from detention.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge turned aside fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski's request to have another jurisdiction handle his attempt to have a 31-year-old child sex case dismissed. In a nine-page order Friday, Judge Peter Espinoza said the Academy Award-winning director had not shown any grounds to disqualify him or the entire court, which, he noted, includes 600 judicial officers working in 50 courthouses.

Lawyers for Roman Polanski accused Los Angeles County Superior Court of bias against the fugitive film director Monday and asked that a judge from another jurisdiction handle the Academy Award-winner's recent request to have the 30-year-old unlawful intercourse case against him thrown out. In a court filing, attorneys wrote that comments by a court spokesman showed a predisposition against Polanski and made a scheduled Jan. 21 hearing before Judge...