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March 16, 2012 12:03 PM

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Dharun Ravi Verdict: Guilty of bias, invading privacy, in Rutgers-Clementi spycam case

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Dharun Ravi, center, is helped by his father, Ravi Pazhani, second right, as they leave court in New Brunswick, N.J., Friday, March 16, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Mel Evans

(CBS/AP) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - A jury has found Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers student accused of spying on his roommate Tyler Clementi, guilty of some bias intimidation charges, as well as charges of invasion of privacy and tampering with evidence.

Pictures: Tyler Clementi
Pictures: Rutgers Spycam Trial

NJ.com has published a full list of the charges and the jury's decision on each.

A jury found that Ravi used a webcam to spy on Clementi in September 2010 and that he did it - and told others about it - because of a bias against gays. Clementi later committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

Ravi rejected two plea deals before the case went to trial. In October, he declined a plea bargain that would have come with a recommended sentence of three to five years in prison, but with a chance that the judge could waive any prison time. And in December, he rejected a deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail altogether, and instead be put on probation and be required to perform 600 hours of community service and receive counseling. The state would have also helped him try to stave off any attempt by the federal government to deport him.

Ravi, a citizen of India, could face deportation.

During the trial, which included 12 days of testimony, jurors heard from about 30 witnesses. Ravi himself did not testify.

Complete coverage of Tyler Clementi and the Dharun Ravi trial on Crimesider

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Rutgers Spycam Trial

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236 Comments +

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by dsny22 April 12, 2012 1:42 AM EDT: Dear Sir/Madam,
I am unhappy with the verdict in the Dharun Ravi case.
It is impossible for Dharun Ravi to get a fair trial in this high profile case after he was convicted in Sept 2010 in the eyes of the public and the media based on lies propagated by LGBT pr campaigns to make Dharun Ravi the face of the gay bully.
ABC, CNN, Ellen DeGeneres, Dr Phil and Anderson Cooper jumped on the band wagon ready to convict Dharun Ravi.
Governor Chris Christie, of New Jersey, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Representative Rush Holt and even President Obama said something about it. There was a public outcry and thousands marched and rallied for Tyler Clementi and it was all based on a LIE.
Dharun Ravi did not "out" Tyler Clementi nor cause him to commit suicide, there was no sex tape streamed or pictures. There was only one 3-5 sec viewing of this strange, older man in Ravi's own dorm room and it was to check on his valuables. Also the person who set up the webcam and whose idea the second viewing was became a witness for the prosecution.
Judge Glenn Berman announced that he was denying the defense's request to see various documents in the possession of the state, including a handwritten document—conceivably, a suicide note—found among Clementi's things at Rutgers.
I feel the prosecution and Judge Berman was not honest with the jury and in their desperation to get a guilty verdict hid key evidence from the jury. The suicide notes and other documents that were on Clementi's computer should have been admitted and provided to the Defense for examination to determine Clementi's state of mind at the time of his suicide.
By bringing his gay lover to the dorm room he shared with Ravi, Clementi also made it public on campus that he was gay. Cementi did not care who knew he was gay. Clementi was not intimidated by Ravi's spying and called it a "prank". If Clementi was intimidated by Ravi he would not have brought his gay lover to his dorm the second time within one week after knowing Ravi had spied on him. Yet the jury found that Clementi was intimidated by Ravi and has convicted him of bias hate crimes. These hate crimes were written for people like the KKK and not for the current digital media age of facebook, twitter and webcams and like Judge Berman has correctly pointed out these laws were muddled to begin with.
Tyler was equally immature as Ravi and he was equally biased toward Indian Americans. Teenagers at that age say and do foolish things and are socially inept. I just think that Ravi was just an immature and insensitive person, not unlike many 18 year old males.
Ravi should not have to accept a plea and plead guilty to hate crimes if in his heart he was not a homophobe. Ravi was not verbally or physically abusive to Clementi. In witness statements taken for the Clementi case from both the prosecution and the defense, nobody has recalled Ravi being contemptuous of gay people.
I feel this is definitely a case of modern day lynching of a young, dark skin, Indian immigrant kid by the justice system. If the kid doing this was white... he would only have got a slap on the wrist. The jury would have felt the sympathy we all feel for Ravi, but because Ravi is Indian he was seen as the outsider and targeted by LGBT pr campaigns. By the prosecution saying they are NOT going to try this kid for the suicide, they actually did just that.; Reply to this comment


by dsny22 April 12, 2012 1:40 AM EDT: We now have only 3 days to reach our goal on the petition to President Obama. White House Petition :http://wh.gov/NM1; Reply to this comment

by Martha12345 March 19, 2012 8:33 AM EDT

Why is he in a US college in the first place. A vet needs to take his place and Ravi needs to be deported.

Reply to this comment


by daniwitz13-2009 March 19, 2012 5:12 PM EDT: Most, if not all comments here are clueless of Rights and privacy and technology. This Judge should declare a mistrial because the whole Court is clueless, beginning with the prosecution, (for bringing a non-crime to Court) the inept defense Lawyers, the Judge that can't dismiss the case for lack of a case, and MOST of all to a clueless Jury. If that wasn't bad enough, the General public that are on this board are equally clueless. Think about this real good, there is NO SPYING (or a crime) on the unknown. When you figure this one out, only then you'll know what clueless is. Pity.


by C_Anderson March 18, 2012 7:04 PM EDT: Ravi was offered a plea deal with no jail time. He should have taken it. Community service would have been the best thing for him to learn respect for others. Instead, he clearly lied and tried to cover for his childish acts. He is a bully and did something to humiliate another person. We've had enough of this nonsense. Being 17 and claiming you're a child is no excuse. Plenty of our young people are fighting wars and dying for our freedom at his age.; Reply to this comment


by vielmann March 18, 2012 5:52 PM EDT: I think what Ravi did was wrong and despicable. But this is overkill. Ultimately, life isn't fair. We all suffer from mistreatment and abuse from others at some point, some moreso than others. But the ultimate choice to commit suicide was Clementi's and no one else. You can't hold Ravi responsible other than to say his actions helped contribute to that choice. I think Ravi needs a chance to redeem himself (I'm not saying he deserves no jail time) and I don't agree with the pile on to condemn someone who out of inexperience and foolishness of youth probably hadn't the forethought of the consequences of his actions.; Reply to this comment

by KarlStalin March 18, 2012 12:09 PM EDT

Being bias against gays isn't against the law. If it is then all gays are guilty of bias against straights.

Reply to this comment


by fantod-2009 March 18, 2012 3:05 PM EDT: Sounds like something a person named Stalin would say.


by KarlStalin March 18, 2012 11:51 AM EDT: Invasion of privacy? BS. This trial is all about suspected homophobia. How can you prove that someone has a bias against gays and sentence him to prison? Besides, having a bias against gays isn't against the law.; Reply to this comment

by luckyturqoise March 18, 2012 10:46 AM EDT

What Ravi did was despicable!! He deserves everything he gets. You people who have a problem with the gay issue need to get a life and mind your own business. I'll bet most of you gay haters even go to church.

Reply to this comment


by LosAngelesCA March 18, 2012 11:10 AM EDT: luckyturqoise - on what basis are you making the comment that gay haters go to church? PUH-LEEZ.

You should have left your comment at "What Ravi did was despicable."

Now you have ticked people off with the rest of the comment. When people are ticked, they tune out. We are going to tune out if you keep it up.

by LosAngelesCA March 18, 2012 3:05 AM EDT

I think Ravi should be deported. He does not understand what being an American is all about.

Ravi was not legally responsible for Clemente's suicide BUT his actions definitely had a negative, while unintentional, effect on a human being.

Ravi's actions were heinous. He does not understand that his actions were a serious crime in this country. That is why he rejected 2 plea deals. 2. He is lucky. Some people don't even get 1 and he's not even American.

That's why I want Ravi deported. He is not American and does not understand it. He needs to leave before he negatively influences others.

Reply to this comment


by LosAngelesCA March 18, 2012 11:08 AM EDT: I do not understand your comment Mallory. I am an American. Suicide is NOT a choice. I am an not a psychologist so I do not know the word to use, but it is definitely not choice.

We are a melting pot in this country and Ravi is here legally. I want him deported because he simply does not get it. It has NOTHING to do with prejudice. Most of my relatives ARE NOT American.

I want Ravi deported befause he does not get it it. I live in Los Angeles. Many ILLEGAL aliens do not get it either and they also need to be deported.

by Farver4girls March 17, 2012 6:53 PM EDT

Deport Ravi!

Reply to this comment


by KarlStalin March 18, 2012 11:54 AM EDT: Exactly. Besides, being bias towards gays isn't against the law. If it is then all gays are guilty of bias against straights.

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