Polish court rejects US extradition request in Polanski case

KRAKOW - A Polish court said on Friday that it rejected a US request to extradite film-maker Roman Polanski over a 1977 child sex conviction.

The decision is not legally binding, as the prosecutors can now appeal the ruling. Should the court make a legally binding decision to grant the US request, it will be up to the justice minister to decide on whether to hand the Polanski over.

"(Roman Polanski's) extradition is inadmissible" said Judge Dariusz Mazur at the district court in the southern city of Krakow.

The Oscar-winner pleaded guilty in 1977 to having sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles.

Polanski served 42 days in jail after a plea bargain. He fled the United States the following year, believing the judge hearing his case could overrule the deal and put him in jail for years.