John Washington: Last News

A California appeals court on Wednesday ordered the unsealing of a conditional deposition transcript to be opened in the criminal case against director Roman Polanski, who pled guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl decades ago.  The deposition transcript is Roger Gunson's, the former prosecutor in the case who retired in 2002, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The Los Angeles District Attorney was formerly opposed to unsealing the documents but lifted its opposition Tuesday.    "The conditional deposition of Gunson was a post-plea evidentiary hearing designed to uncover these alleged abuses, and we agree with the People that there is no factual or legal basis for the conditional deposition transcript to remain sealed," the order read.  The request to unseal was submitted by journalists Sam Wasson and William Rempel, arguing alongside their lawyer, John Washington, that state law and public interest required Gunson's testimony be unsealed.

In one particular, progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón doesn’t differ from his predecessors: He is against opening court and prosecutorial behavior in the Roman Polanski sex case to public inspection—at least not until the fugitive Polanski returns from abroad to face sentencing.