Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said his office had "determined it to be in the interest of justice to agree to the unsealing of these transcripts."

"This case has been described by the courts as 'one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,'" said Gascon in a statement.&nbsp;

"For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know."

While it is not known what exactly the transcripts contain, they include testimony by former Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson, the first prosecutor to handle Polanski's case.

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In 1977, French-Polish director Polanski was arrested after 13-year-old Samantha Gailey accused him of plying her with drugs and champagne and forcibly sodomizing her. Seeking to spare the child a trial, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges in a plea deal, with Polanski accepting guilt for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

He served 42 days in prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. When it appeared that the judge, Laurence Rittenband, was set to reconsider and hand down a much lengthier prison sentence, Polanski fled to France, where he still resides.

The ‘Rosemary's Baby’ and ‘Chinatown’ director has not returned to the United States since and has been engaged in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game with officials seeking his extradition, before a global audience split between continuing outrage and forgiveness for his acts.

According to Gascon's statement, Polanski first requested the transcripts be unsealed "several years ago" in order to "conduct an investigation into alleged judicial misconduct." Gascon also described the circumstances in which Polanski was initially treated by prosecutors as "extraordinary" and added that his office was committed to "transparency and accountability for all in the justice system."

The Hollywood Reporter said the new request to see the transcripts came not from Polanski, but from two journalists.&nbsp;

Gailey publicly forgave Polanski in 1997 and said her treatment by the press and judicial system was worse than the original crime. She has also previously called for the transcripts to be unsealed.

But Gascon's statement concludes: "Polanski remains a fugitive from justice and should surrender himself to the Los Angeles County Superior Court to be sentenced."

In more recent years, Polanski -- now 88 -- has also been accused of other historic sex crimes by different women. He denies the allegations, for which the statute of limitations has expired.

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Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct.

Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said his office had "determined it to be in the interest of justice to agree to the unsealing of these transcripts." "This case has been described by the courts as 'one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,'" said Gascon in a statement. "For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know." While it is not known what exactly the transcripts contain, they include testimony by former Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson, the first prosecutor to handle Polanski's case. Also Read: French actor accuses Oscar-winner Roman Polanski of sexual assault In 1977, French-Polish director Polanski was arrested after 13-year-old Samantha Gailey accused him of plying her with drugs and champagne and forcibly sodomizing her. Seeking to spare the child a trial, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges in a plea deal, with Polanski accepting guilt for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He served 42 days in prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. When it appeared that the judge, Laurence Rittenband, was set to reconsider and hand down a much lengthier prison sentence, Polanski fled to France, where he still resides. The ‘Rosemary's Baby’ and ‘Chinatown’ director has not returned to the United States since and has been engaged in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game with officials seeking his extradition, before a global audience split between continuing outrage and forgiveness for his acts. According to Gascon's statement, Polanski first requested the transcripts be unsealed "several years ago" in order to "conduct an investigation into alleged judicial misconduct." Gascon also described the circumstances in which Polanski was initially treated by prosecutors as "extraordinary" and added that his office was committed to "transparency and accountability for all in the justice system." The Hollywood Reporter said the new request to see the transcripts came not from Polanski, but from two journalists. Gailey publicly forgave Polanski in 1997 and said her treatment by the press and judicial system was worse than the original crime. She has also previously called for the transcripts to be unsealed. But Gascon's statement concludes: "Polanski remains a fugitive from justice and should surrender himself to the Los Angeles County Superior Court to be sentenced." In more recent years, Polanski -- now 88 -- has also been accused of other historic sex crimes by different women. He denies the allegations, for which the statute of limitations has expired. Also Read: Roman Polanski revisits Holocaust boyhood in new film

US prosecutor says Roman Polanski case transcripts can be unsealed

Roman Polanski is pegged to lose court battle over his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He was expelled almost two years ago after there were claims of his name cropping in #MeToo. The film director has not been attending the court proceedings.&nbsp;

Polanski complains that the Academy had failed to give him a fair opportunity to be heard when he was booted along with Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein for alleged sexual misconduct.&nbsp;

Polanski filed a petition for writ of administrative mandamus, asking a Los Angeles judge to force the Academy to reinstate him as a member in good standing.&nbsp;

As for the case, in the 1970s, Polanksi pled guilty to having sexual intercourse with a teenager girl and then left for France when he had a whiff that the&nbsp;the judge would&nbsp;sentence him to 50 years in prison instead of 90 days of psychiatric evaluation, which he says he was promised. &nbsp;Ever since, Polanski has pushed the notion that he was the victim of a corrupt process.

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Roman Polanski is pegged to lose court battle over his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was expelled almost two years ago after there were claims of his name cropping in #MeToo.

Roman Polanski is pegged to lose court battle over his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was expelled almost two years ago after there were claims of his name cropping in #MeToo. The film director has not been attending the court proceedings. Polanski complains that the Academy had failed to give him a fair opportunity to be heard when he was booted along with Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein for alleged sexual misconduct. Polanski filed a petition for writ of administrative mandamus, asking a Los Angeles judge to force the Academy to reinstate him as a member in good standing. As for the case, in the 1970s, Polanksi pled guilty to having sexual intercourse with a teenager girl and then left for France when he had a whiff that the the judge would sentence him to 50 years in prison instead of 90 days of psychiatric evaluation, which he says he was promised. Ever since, Polanski has pushed the notion that he was the victim of a corrupt process. 2020 Emmy Awards: Meet the Best Director Drama nominees DC FanDome new reveals: 'The Flash' new costume, Robert Pattinson first look as Batman

Roman Polanski set to lose case over expulsion from The Academy amid sexual misconduct claims

Roman Polanski is back in the news after his film ‘An Officer and a Spy’, or ‘J'accuse in French’ recently found a place in the nominations list for the 45th César awards for French cinema, an equivalent of French Oscars.&nbsp;

Polanksi has received 12 nominations at the César awards.&nbsp;

The news has sparked outrage as Roman Polanski was convicted of statutory rape in 1977. He fled the US after his rape conviction in the 1970s. He has since faced other accusations of sexual assault.

After the outrage over his nomination, Alain Terzian, the head of the Césars, argued that the body "should not take moral positions" in giving awards.

However, Céline Piques, spokeswoman for French feminist organisation Osez le Féminisme (Dare to be Feminist) told French TV channel LCI: "I am shocked. The 400 cinema professionals who voted for this nomination have applauded Polanski with 12 nominations - 12 is also the number of women today who accuse Roman Polanski of rape. This is not the field of morality, this is the field of justice."

‘An Officer and a Spy’ is about the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal in France in the late 1800s which saw a French Jewish army officer wrongly convicted of spying. In September, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Roman Polanski is back in the news after his film ‘An Officer and a Spy’, or ‘J'accuse in French’ recently found a place in the nominations list for the 45th César awards for French cinema, an equivalent of French Oscars.

Roman Polanski is back in the news after his film ‘An Officer and a Spy’, or ‘J'accuse in French’ recently found a place in the nominations list for the 45th César awards for French cinema, an equivalent of French Oscars. Polanksi has received 12 nominations at the César awards. The news has sparked outrage as Roman Polanski was convicted of statutory rape in 1977. He fled the US after his rape conviction in the 1970s. He has since faced other accusations of sexual assault. After the outrage over his nomination, Alain Terzian, the head of the Césars, argued that the body "should not take moral positions" in giving awards. However, Céline Piques, spokeswoman for French feminist organisation Osez le Féminisme (Dare to be Feminist) told French TV channel LCI: "I am shocked. The 400 cinema professionals who voted for this nomination have applauded Polanski with 12 nominations - 12 is also the number of women today who accuse Roman Polanski of rape. This is not the field of morality, this is the field of justice." ‘An Officer and a Spy’ is about the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal in France in the late 1800s which saw a French Jewish army officer wrongly convicted of spying. In September, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Roman Polanski sparks outrage as his film gets nominated in French Oscars

Roman Polanski, whose new film on the persecution of the French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus is premiering at the Venice Film Festival, is still dogged by a rape case that continues to polarise opinion.

Here is a recap of the four-decade affair:&nbsp;

- March, 1977 -&nbsp;

On March 11, 1977, 43-year-old Polanski is arrested and accused of drugging and raping 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, during a photo session the night before at the Hollywood home of actor Jack Nicholson.

Gailey, later known by her married name Samantha Geimer, tells her mother Polanski plied her with drink and drugs and raped her. Her mother calls the police.

- Legal action -

Polanski is released shortly after his arrest on bail of $2,500. He faces 50 years in prison.

He is charged on March 24 with five offences including rape by use of drugs and committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14.

At the start of August, to avoid a public trial, Polanski accepts a plea bargain under which he pleads guilty to a single, lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

A legal agreement is made with the consent of the family.

He is sentenced to 90 days in prison. A psychiatric evaluation concludes he is not a danger to society and he is released for exemplary conduct.

But the day before the hearing to approve the deal, the judge deems the sentence insufficient.&nbsp;

On January 31, 1978, Polanski flees to Paris, making use of his French citizenship.

The US issues an international arrest warrant.

- Apologies and excuses -

In August 1994, after Polanski paid Geimer $225,000 in an out-of-court settlement and the maximum sentence had been reduced to four years, the prosecution summons him to court.

Geimer, to whom Polanski had sent a letter of apology, requests on several occasions that the court abandon the case.

- Swiss, Polish reactions -

While the US tries to put its hand on Polanski during his international travels, both France and Poland -- he has dual nationality -- refuse to extradite him.

On September 26, 2009, he is arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on a US-issued international warrant.&nbsp;

He spends two months in prison and eight months under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad, in the Swiss Alps.&nbsp;

In July 2010 Switzerland eventually rejects the US extradition request.&nbsp;

In 2014 Polanski is arrested in Warsaw.&nbsp;

At first, Poland refuses to extradite him but in 2016 the conservative government re-opens the case, eventually closed by the Polish Supreme Court in December.&nbsp;

In August 2017 a Los Angeles judge refuses to close the case despite the requests of Polanski and Geimer.

- More rape accusations -&nbsp;

At the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, the 42-year-old British actress Charlotte Lewis alleges Polanski sexually abused her when she was 16, during a casting session at his home in 1983.&nbsp;

A second woman, going by the name of "Robin", accuses Polanski in August 2017 of sexual aggression when she was 16, in 1973.&nbsp;

In September, Renate Langer, a 61-year-old former actress files a fresh rape allegation, claiming she was raped in 1972 in Gstaad when she was 15.&nbsp;

Two months later Swiss prosecutors rule out bringing charges over the latest allegations because the statute of limitations for the assault has expired.

- Oscar outlaw -

In the throes of the Harvey Weinstein affair, Polanski in 2017 is forced to pull out of presiding over the "French Oscars" -- the Cesars -- after feminist groups had called for the awards to be boycotted.

On May 3, 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces it has expelled Roman Polanski from its membership.

The director, who had been a member of the Academy since 1968 and awarded in 2003 for his film 'The Pianist', files an appeal.&nbsp;

Roman Polanski, whose new film on the persecution of the French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus is premiering at the Venice Film Festival, is still dogged by a rape case that continues to polarise opinion.

Roman Polanski, whose new film on the persecution of the French Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus is premiering at the Venice Film Festival, is still dogged by a rape case that continues to polarise opinion. Here is a recap of the four-decade affair: - March, 1977 - On March 11, 1977, 43-year-old Polanski is arrested and accused of drugging and raping 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, during a photo session the night before at the Hollywood home of actor Jack Nicholson. Gailey, later known by her married name Samantha Geimer, tells her mother Polanski plied her with drink and drugs and raped her. Her mother calls the police. - Legal action - Polanski is released shortly after his arrest on bail of $2,500. He faces 50 years in prison. He is charged on March 24 with five offences including rape by use of drugs and committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14. At the start of August, to avoid a public trial, Polanski accepts a plea bargain under which he pleads guilty to a single, lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse. A legal agreement is made with the consent of the family. He is sentenced to 90 days in prison. A psychiatric evaluation concludes he is not a danger to society and he is released for exemplary conduct. But the day before the hearing to approve the deal, the judge deems the sentence insufficient. On January 31, 1978, Polanski flees to Paris, making use of his French citizenship. The US issues an international arrest warrant. - Apologies and excuses - In August 1994, after Polanski paid Geimer $225,000 in an out-of-court settlement and the maximum sentence had been reduced to four years, the prosecution summons him to court. Geimer, to whom Polanski had sent a letter of apology, requests on several occasions that the court abandon the case. - Swiss, Polish reactions - While the US tries to put its hand on Polanski during his international travels, both France and Poland -- he has dual nationality -- refuse to extradite him. On September 26, 2009, he is arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on a US-issued international warrant. He spends two months in prison and eight months under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad, in the Swiss Alps. In July 2010 Switzerland eventually rejects the US extradition request. In 2014 Polanski is arrested in Warsaw. At first, Poland refuses to extradite him but in 2016 the conservative government re-opens the case, eventually closed by the Polish Supreme Court in December. In August 2017 a Los Angeles judge refuses to close the case despite the requests of Polanski and Geimer. - More rape accusations - At the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, the 42-year-old British actress Charlotte Lewis alleges Polanski sexually abused her when she was 16, during a casting session at his home in 1983. A second woman, going by the name of "Robin", accuses Polanski in August 2017 of sexual aggression when she was 16, in 1973. In September, Renate Langer, a 61-year-old former actress files a fresh rape allegation, claiming she was raped in 1972 in Gstaad when she was 15. Two months later Swiss prosecutors rule out bringing charges over the latest allegations because the statute of limitations for the assault has expired. - Oscar outlaw - In the throes of the Harvey Weinstein affair, Polanski in 2017 is forced to pull out of presiding over the "French Oscars" -- the Cesars -- after feminist groups had called for the awards to be boycotted. On May 3, 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces it has expelled Roman Polanski from its membership. The director, who had been a member of the Academy since 1968 and awarded in 2003 for his film 'The Pianist', files an appeal.

Roman Polanski case: Timeline of what we know about his sex scandals

A US judge on Friday rejected a bid by a woman Roman Polanski raped as a teenager to close the case, saying the fugitive filmmaker must appear in court for the matter to be resolved.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon said in a 10-page ruling that while Samantha Geimer -- who was 13 at the time -- had clearly suffered because of the case, he could not dismiss it &quot;merely because it would be in the victim&#39;s best interest.&quot;

Polanski, who turned 84 on Friday, fled the United States in 1978 before he could be sentenced after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with Geimer.

The 54-year-old victim, who lives in Hawaii, made an impassioned plea to the judge in June to end the case so she could go on with her life. She said she and her family had been enduring a grueling ordeal for 40 years.

&quot;I would implore you to consider taking action which would finally bring this matter to a close as an act of mercy for myself and my family,&quot; she told the judge.

But Gordon said in his ruling that although dismissing the case would help Geimer, &quot;society has an interest in even handed justice, which can be satisfied only by continuing the prosecution in this case.&quot;

He added that it was Polanski&#39;s refusal to face justice that was responsible for Geimer&#39;s continued anguish, rather than the courts.

&quot;The defendant in this matter stands as a fugitive and refuses to comply with court orders,&quot; he said. &quot;As eloquently described by Ms Geimer, his conduct continues to harm her and compounds the trauma of the sexual assault committed against her that gave rise to this case.&quot;

&#39;Insanity beyond belief&#39;

The Oscar-winning filmmaker&#39;s attorney, Harland Braun, hit out at the judge&#39;s ruling saying &quot;there&#39;s an insanity in this case beyond belief.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t get it,&quot; Braun added. &quot;Why can&#39;t the system come to grips with a very simple situation?&quot;

Polanski&#39;s defense team over the years has argued that the director fled California in 1978 after he learned that the judge overseeing the case at the time was going to scrap his plea deal and send him to prison, possibly for decades.

The director of &quot;Rosemary&#39;s Baby&quot; and &quot;Chinatown&quot; was accused of drugging Geimer when she was 13 before raping her at Jack Nicholson&#39;s house in Los Angeles in 1977 while the film star was away.

Polanski confessed to statutory rape after a number of more serious charges were dropped, and spent 42 days in custody to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

His defense team maintains that under the plea deal, the 42 days he spent in custody would be the only time he would serve behind bars.

The director -- who is married to French actress Emmanuelle Seigner, with whom he has two children -- has been living in France on and off since 1978 and has refused to return without assurances that he would not serve additional time in prison.

He was hit with fresh sex crime allegations this week when a woman came forward saying he had assaulted her when she was a minor.

The woman, identified only as Robin, told a news conference in Los Angeles she was &quot;sexually victimized&quot; by the French-Polish film director when she was 16, in 1973.

A third woman -- British actress Charlotte Lewis -- also accused Polanski of assault in 2010. Lewis claimed the director &quot;forced himself&quot; upon her just after her 16th birthday.

Polanski&#39;s film career has continued to flourish since he fled to France, where many consider him an icon. He has eight Cesars -- the French equivalent of the Oscars -- and a best director Academy Award for Holocaust drama &quot;The Pianist.&quot;

While living in the United States, he was married to the actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered in 1969 by members of the Charles Manson family when she was eight months pregnant.

The judge said the fugitive Polanski must appear before the court for the matter to be resolved

A US judge on Friday rejected a bid by a woman Roman Polanski raped as a teenager to close the case, saying the fugitive filmmaker must appear in court for the matter to be resolved. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon said in a 10-page ruling that while Samantha Geimer -- who was 13 at the time -- had clearly suffered because of the case, he could not dismiss it "merely because it would be in the victim's best interest." Polanski, who turned 84 on Friday, fled the United States in 1978 before he could be sentenced after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with Geimer. The 54-year-old victim, who lives in Hawaii, made an impassioned plea to the judge in June to end the case so she could go on with her life. She said she and her family had been enduring a grueling ordeal for 40 years. "I would implore you to consider taking action which would finally bring this matter to a close as an act of mercy for myself and my family," she told the judge. But Gordon said in his ruling that although dismissing the case would help Geimer, "society has an interest in even handed justice, which can be satisfied only by continuing the prosecution in this case." He added that it was Polanski's refusal to face justice that was responsible for Geimer's continued anguish, rather than the courts. "The defendant in this matter stands as a fugitive and refuses to comply with court orders," he said. "As eloquently described by Ms Geimer, his conduct continues to harm her and compounds the trauma of the sexual assault committed against her that gave rise to this case." 'Insanity beyond belief' The Oscar-winning filmmaker's attorney, Harland Braun, hit out at the judge's ruling saying "there's an insanity in this case beyond belief." "I don't get it," Braun added. "Why can't the system come to grips with a very simple situation?" Polanski's defense team over the years has argued that the director fled California in 1978 after he learned that the judge overseeing the case at the time was going to scrap his plea deal and send him to prison, possibly for decades. The director of "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown" was accused of drugging Geimer when she was 13 before raping her at Jack Nicholson's house in Los Angeles in 1977 while the film star was away. Polanski confessed to statutory rape after a number of more serious charges were dropped, and spent 42 days in custody to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. His defense team maintains that under the plea deal, the 42 days he spent in custody would be the only time he would serve behind bars. The director -- who is married to French actress Emmanuelle Seigner, with whom he has two children -- has been living in France on and off since 1978 and has refused to return without assurances that he would not serve additional time in prison. He was hit with fresh sex crime allegations this week when a woman came forward saying he had assaulted her when she was a minor. The woman, identified only as Robin, told a news conference in Los Angeles she was "sexually victimized" by the French-Polish film director when she was 16, in 1973. A third woman -- British actress Charlotte Lewis -- also accused Polanski of assault in 2010. Lewis claimed the director "forced himself" upon her just after her 16th birthday. Polanski's film career has continued to flourish since he fled to France, where many consider him an icon. He has eight Cesars -- the French equivalent of the Oscars -- and a best director Academy Award for Holocaust drama "The Pianist." While living in the United States, he was married to the actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered in 1969 by members of the Charles Manson family when she was eight months pregnant.

US judge rejects Polanski victim's request to close case

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US prosecutor says Roman Polanski case transcripts can be unsealed

Roman Polanski set to lose case over expulsion from The Academy amid sexual misconduct claims

Roman Polanski sparks outrage as his film gets nominated in French Oscars

Roman Polanski case: Timeline of what we know about his sex scandals

US judge rejects Polanski victim's request to close case