Swiss court agrees to grant Polanski bail

A Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman said that the court Thursday approved a $4.5-million bail for the famed director, who faces extradition to Los Angeles to be sentenced for unlawful intercourse with a 13-year-old girl more than three decades ago. Under the bail plan, Polanski would be under electronic monitoring at his Swiss chalet until the justice system decides whether he should be sent to Los Angeles, Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said. But Polanski will remain behind bars until the ministry decides whether to appeal the courts decision for bail. Polanski has vowed to fight extradition, and the process could take months or more. Latimes The director was arrested in Zurich as he came to the city to attend a film festival. He is considered a fugitive ever since he fled LA just before being sentenced in 1978. Swiss authorities have said Polanski would face as many as two years in prison if he is returned to Los Angeles. Latimes

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