Judge Rejects Polanski's Bid To Reopen Rape Case

Film director Roman Polanski lost another attempt on Tuesday to have his conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl dismissed when a Los Angeles judge refused to consider his request as long as he remains a fugitive.

Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said that he would be willing to reconsider his decision if Polanski, who fled the United States for France in 1978 after pleading guilty to rape, returns to a Los Angeles courtroom by May 7.

The 75-year-old director of such films as "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown, faces arrest if he sets foot back on U.S. soil.

Polanski, who has insisted that the sex was consensual, has tried to have his guilty plea thrown out on claims that the judge in the case was improperly coached by a prosecutor.

Earlier this month his attempt to disqualify the entire Los Angeles County court system from hearing the case was rejected by a California appeals court.