In 1977, Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He fled the country to France before the sentencing hearing and remains a fugitive.
CNN has reached out to his representative for comment.
In 2014, Samantha Gamer, the victim in the case, asked the court to unseal the transcripts of then-Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson’s testimony and investigate the alleged miscarriage of justice. Gamer has been notified of the court’s decision, the district attorney’s office said.
“My request was repeatedly rejected. I have been told that Mr. Polanski must surrender to US authorities to investigate misconduct in this case. Additionally, the testimony must remain sealed unless there is an investigation. I believe this response is disingenuous,” Gamer wrote to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office last month while pushing for disclosure.
“This case has been described by the courts as ‘one of the longest sagas in the history of California criminal justice,'” Gascon said in a statement Tuesday. “For years this office has struggled to release information that the victim and the public have a right to know. After careful consideration of the victim’s wishes, the unique and extraordinary circumstances leading to his probation, and my commitment to transparency and accountability to everyone in the justice system, my office has determined that it is in the best interest of justice to consent to the release of these transcripts .”
In an interview with CNN in 2010, Gamer said he did not want to deal with the media circus surrounding the director if he ever returned to the US and felt the judge in Polanski’s case had been unfair to him.
“We are pleased that the appeals court agreed with both the victim and our office on the need for transparency,” Gascon said in response to the ruling. “The court’s decision has helped us move toward meeting our responsibility to tell the public the truth and listen to survivors.” We hope this gives her a modicum of confidence that she may finally have some measure of closure in this decades-long legal process.”
The office is not sure when or how quickly the court will unseal the documents.
The district attorney said Tuesday that he would no longer object to the release of the transcripts and filed a motion with the court asking for their release.
“Gunson’s deposition was actually hearing after hearing of evidence of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct — rather than a parole review to preserve victim or witness testimony for trial — and the safety issues often present in cases where parole is used reviews are not present in this case,” Gascon said in his filing. “Therefore, the transcript must be unsealed.
CNN reached out to Gunson for comment.
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