Roman Polanski's lawyers have accused the Los Angeles Superior Court of bias and prejudice against the director - and are seeking for his child-molestation case to be resolved by the California Judicial Council.

In 1978 the Academy Award-winning director was convicted of the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, but escaped to Paris, France, before he could be sentenced for the crime.

Prosecutors subsequently vowed to arrest him if he ever stepped back in America, forcing Polanski to start a new life in Europe.

The star continued to make films during his self-imposed exile, even landing an Academy Award for 2002 Holocaust drama The Pianist.

Source: Press Release