POLANSKI'S FRENCH LAWYER 'NOT AUTHORISED' TO DISCUSS SEX CASE

The Rosemary's Baby director is being held behind bars in Switzerland following his arrest in September (09) on an international warrant relating to a 1977 charge of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski pleaded guilty to the crime but fled the U.S. in 1978 before he could be sentenced.

U.S. authorities formally requested his extradition last month (Oct09) but Swiss officials have yet to decide whether to grant the motion.

French lawyer Herve Temime has been keeping the press updated on Polanski's progress and wellbeing in jail, and told local newspaper Le Figaro last week (ends20Nov09) the filmmaker plans to fight any attempts to send him back to the U.S. to face his punishment.

Temime said: "We maintain that Mr Polanski did not face a fair trial in Los Angeles. For all these reasons, among others, his position remains unchanged: he will not accept being extradited to the United States."

But Polanski's Los Angeles-based attorneys Douglas Dalton, Bart Dalton and Chad Hummel have dismissed Temime's comments, insisting he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the director.

In a statement, they say, "Any statements made in the press to the effect that Mr. Polanski will not accept lawful orders of the courts, including relating to extradition, are not true."

The trio added that Dr. Lorenz Erni in Switzerland and Polanski himself are the only others "authorised to speak on his behalf" regarding the unlawful sex charge.

Polanski, who has been deemed a "flight risk", has seen three bail attempts refused and is expected to remain in jail for several more months until Swiss authorities rule on the U.S. extradition request.