The US Court of Appeals has ordered that a key copy be requested by Roman Polanski can be unsealed so that the filmmaker’s 45-year-old rape case can be re-examined.
It comes less than 48 hours after the The Angels The prosecutor’s office said they would no longer object to the release of the document.
Prosecutor George Gascon said the decision was made in response to a letter from Samantha Geimer, the victim in the case, who has spent years trying to get the case dismissed.
She was 13 years old when Polanski pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in August 1977, but fled the United States to France for a sentencing hearing.
He has lived abroad ever since.
“We are pleased that the Court of Appeal agreed with both the victim and our office on the need for transparency,” Gascon said.
“The court’s decision has helped us meet our responsibility to tell the public the truth and listen to survivors.
“We hope it gives her a little bit of assurance that she can eventually get some measure of closure in this decades-long lawsuit.”
The prosecutor’s office said Ms Geimer had been informed of the court’s decision and was “very grateful” that their position was supported.
She stated, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
It is unclear how long the process of unlocking the documents will take.
Polanski, known for films such as The Pianist and Chinatown, remains a fugitive from justice and has been urged to surrender to Los Angeles County Superior Court to be sentenced.
The director was married to actress Sharon Tateand shared a house with her before her murder at the hands of the Manson Family cult in 1969.