CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

Lawyers for Roman Polanski accused Los Angeles County Superior Court of bias against the fugitive film director Monday and asked that a judge from another jurisdiction handle the Academy Award-winner’s recent request to have the 30-year-old unlawful intercourse case against him thrown out.

In a court filing, attorneys wrote that comments by a court spokesman showed a predisposition against Polanski and made a scheduled Jan. 21 hearing before Judge Peter Espinoza and subsequent proceedings “a very uneven contest, the results of which appear pre-ordained.”

Polanski, 75, formally requested last month that “in the interests of justice” the court throw out the charge -- unlawful intercourse with a minor. He acknowledged having intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 and pleaded guilty to the charge, but fled the country before sentencing. His attorneys contend that egregious misconduct by the trial judge and a prosecutor merits a dismissal.

The court spokesman, Allan Parachini, told The Times last month that it had been the court’s position for years that Polanski had to come to court to pursue dismissal. The remark angered Polanski’s attorneys, who have suggested that the presence of the director is not required. He would face arrest upon arrival.

Polanski’s attorneys wrote that the Parachini’s statement “does not comport with any appearance of fairness” and the reference to an official court position tainted all its judges.