Polanski lawyer claims Superior Court biased

Attorney claims statements by a court spokesman showed prejudice

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updated 9:45 p.m. ET Jan. 5, 2009

LOS ANGELES - A lawyer for Roman Polanski is accusing the Los Angeles Superior Court of bias and prejudice against the movie director, and is seeking removal of his case to the California Judicial Council for resolution.

Polanski has been a fugitive for 30 years in a notorious sex case involving a 13-year-old girl. He filed a request last month to dismiss the charge against him on grounds of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct.

In documents filed Monday, attorney Chad Hummel claims statements by a court spokesman since then showed that the courts have prejudged at least one issue — whether Polanski must personally appear in court on Jan. 21 for his request to be considered.

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Monday’s motion claims the court and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office have attempted to avoid scrutiny of alleged misconduct during Polanski’s original case.