Roman Polanski’s Rape Trial Will Proceed, Rules Judge: ‘His Conduct Continues to Harm Her’

Roman Polanski‘s relationship with the U.S. court system remains contentious. Judge Scott Gordon opted not to dismiss the director’s decades-old rape case for the second time in four months on Friday, saying that, until Polanski returns to America, there will be no deal. That’s almost certain to be a deal-breaker, as the Oscar-winning filmmaker fled the country in 1978 due to the trial and has yet to come back.

“The defendant in this matter stands as a fugitive and refuses to comply with court orders,” wrote Gordon, according to Variety. “As eloquently described by Ms. [Samantha] Geimer, his conduct continues to harm her and compounds the trauma of the sexual assault committed against her that gave rise to this case.” Polanski has been living in France, which does not have an extradition agreement with the United States.

Samantha Geimer, the woman at the center of the case, was 13 when Polanski raped her. She has since asked for the proceedings to be dropped: “I would implore you to finally bring this to a close as an act of mercy to myself and my family,” she said to Gordon in June. “We are human beings, not wins and losses.”