Dharun Ravi Admitted In Police Interview He Violated Tyler Clementi's Privacy

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Prosecutors rested their case Thursday in the trial of a former Rutgers University student, setting the stage for lawyers to begin their defense of the young man accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man.

Dharun Ravi's lawyers are expected to present an investigator and several character witnesses starting Friday. His roommate, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22, 2010, days after his dorm room liaison.

Ravi's lawyers said their first witness will likely be Frank DiNinno, an investigator who worked on the case. On cross-examination of other witnesses, defense lawyers raised the idea that he was too friendly with the student witnesses in the case. A Rutgers University police detective could also be called.

Defense lawyers said he'll be followed by several students and others, some of whom will serve as character witnesses.

They'll also have to decide whether Ravi will take the stand. If he testifies, it won't be until at least Monday.

Ravi, now 20, is charged with 15 criminal counts, including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and several crimes related to trying to cover up his actions.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if he's convicted of the most serious offense, bias intimidation. He also could be deported to India, where he was born and remains a citizen, if he's convicted on any counts.

Ravi isn't charged with Clementi's death, though in many ways the suicide lies at the heart of the case.

The prosecution called nearly two dozen witnesses in 10 days of testimony. The majority of them were college students who testified about seeing the web stream or being told about it. The other man who was seen in the video – identified only by the initials M.B. – also testified.

There was brief testimony Thursday focusing on the chain of custody of evidence, including computers and cellphones.

Also on Thursday, Judge Glenn Berman said he wouldn't dismiss any of the charges against Ravi. In a routine motion at this point in a trial, defense lawyers asked that several charges be tossed, saying prosecutors hadn't presented evidence to support them.

On Wednesday, prosecutors put on the witness stand a detective who interviewed Ravi on Sept. 23, 2010 – after Clementi was believed dead but before Ravi was charged. Jurors saw the nearly hourlong video of the interrogation.

The investigator, Michael Daniewicz, repeatedly accused Ravi of lying about details. And Ravi, for his part, agreed that he had violated his roommate's privacy by going to a friend's room and using her computer to view images from his own webcam, which he had set up to accept webchat requests automatically.

He said he did not see anything graphic and turned the stream off as soon as he realized what was going on.

"I didn't realize it was something so private," he said.

He said he sent a tweet about what he saw, later, "daring" people to videochat with him two days later during the hours when Clementi had requested the room again.

But he said that he didn't mean it.

"I said that sarcastically, first of all," he said, adding that he didn't want people to watch the feed. Jurors had heard in earlier testimony, though, that Clementi had visited Ravi's Twitter page 38 times in the two days before he killed himself and saved a screenshot of that tweet.

___

Follow Mulvihill at . http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill

PHOTOS FROM THE RUTGERS WEBCAM SPY CASE:

Loading Slideshow

• Dharun Ravi, Steve Altman

  Dharun Ravi, 20, right, walks out of Middlesex County jail with his attorney Steven Altman, in North Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Ravi, the former Rutgers University student who was convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man was released from jail Tuesday after serving 20 days of a 30-day sentence. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• This undated file photograph provided by Joseph and Jane Clementi shows their son Tyler Clementi at a family function. Opening arguments took place on Feb. 24, 2012 in the trial of a former Rutgers University student found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate Clementi's intimate encounter with another man. (Clementi Family / AP)

• Dharun Ravi, Steve Altman

  Dharun Ravi, 20, right, walks out of Middlesex County jail with his attorney Steven Altman, in North Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. The Indian-born former Rutgers University student who was convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man was released from jail Tuesday after serving 20 days of a 30-day sentence. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Dharun Ravi, Steve Altman

• Dharun Ravi

  Dharun Ravi, 20, walks out of Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. The Indian-born former Rutgers University student who was convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man was released from jail Tuesday after serving 20 days of a 30-day sentence. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Dharun Ravi sits in court during his sentencing in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself, was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. (Mel Evans, AP)

• Dharun Ravi

  Dharun Ravi, 22, arrives at the Middlesex County sheriff's department in New Brunswick, N.J., Thursday, May 31, 2012. The former Rutgers University student convicted of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate reported to the sheriff on his way to jail. Ravi arrived at the sheriff's department shortly after 12:30 p.m. to be fingerprinted and photographed before being driven to the county jail to serve a 30-day term. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Dharun Ravi

  Dharun Ravi, 22, is photographed by the media as he arrives at the Middlesex County sheriff's department in New Brunswick, N.J., Thursday, May 31, 2012. The former Rutgers University student convicted of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate reported to the sheriff on his way to jail. Ravi arrived at the sheriff's department shortly after 12:30 p.m. to be fingerprinted and photographed before being driven to the county jail to serve a 30-day term. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• A Middlesex County Sheriff's Dept. van, reportedly transporting Dharun Ravi to jail, drives away from the sheriff's office in New Brunswick, N.J., Thursday, May 31, 2012. The former Rutgers University student convicted of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate turned himself in shortly after 12:30 p.m. to be fingerprinted and photographed before being driven to the county jail to serve a 30-day term. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Ravi Pazhani

  Ravi Pazhani, leaves the Middlesex County sheriff's department past officers and the media in New Brunswick, N.J., Thursday, May 31, 2012, after the arrival of his son, Dharun Ravi. The former Rutgers University student convicted of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate was to report to the sheriff on his way to jail. Ravi, 22, arrived at the sheriff's department shortly after 12:30 p.m. to be fingerprinted and photographed before being driven to the county jail to serve a 30-day term. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Philip Nettl, Dharun Ravi, Sabitha Ravi

• Dharun Ravi, center, listens to a court officer with his attorneys Philip Nettl, left, and Steve Altman, during his sentencing in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. (Mel Evans, AP)

• Joseph Clementi,Jane Clementi

  Tyler Clementi's parents, Joseph Clementi and Jane Clementi, look on during a sentencing hearing for Dharun Ravi, in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate, Tyler Clementi, kiss another man days before Clementi killed himself, was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• As fellow defense attorney Steve Altman, third left, listens, attorney Philip Nettl, left, speaks on behalf of Dharun Ravi, second left, as Middlesex County First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure, second right, and Assistant Prosecutor Chris Schellhorn, right, listen during a sentencing hearing for Ravi in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself, was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. (Mel Evans, AP)

• Dharun Ravi, center, is helped by his father, Ravi Pazhani, second right, as they leave court around in New Brunswick, N.J., Friday, March 16, 2012. Defense attorney Philip Nettl follows, second left. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life has been convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy. A jury found that he used a webcam to spy on roommate Tyler Clementi. Within days, Clementi realized he had been watched and jumped to his death from New York's George Washington Bridge in September 2010. (Mel Evans, AP)

• Several hundred supporters rally in front of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, N.J., Monday, May 14, 2012, on behalf of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man. The 20-year-old was convicted in March and faces up to 10 years in prison. The case garnered national attention because his roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010, just days after the spying. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Jane Clementi hugs a family member following the verdict in the trial of Dharun Ravi, on Friday, March 16, 2012 at the Middlesex Superior Court in New Brunswick, N.J. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life has been convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy. A jury found that he used a webcam to spy on roommate Tyler Clementi. Within days, Clementi realized he had been watched and jumped to his death from New York's George Washington Bridge in September 2010. (AP Photo/The Star-Ledger, Jerry McCrea, Pool)

• Renuka Desai, of Edison, N.J., holds a sign and a flag as she joins several hundred supporters at a rally in front of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, N.J., Monday, May 14, 2012, on behalf of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man. The 20-year-old was convicted in March and faces up to 10 years in prison. The case garnered national attention because his roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010, just days after the spying. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Sabitha Ravi, center, talks outside the New Jersey Statehouse about her son, Dharun Ravi, in Trenton, N.J., Monday, May 14, 2012. Supporters rallied on behalf of Dharun, the former Rutgers University student convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man. The case garnered national attention because his roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010, just days after the spying. Ravi Pazhani, right, and Satish Mehtani, left, watch. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Nachhatar Singh, right, and Gill Harjit wait to join several hundred supporters outside the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, N.J., Monday, May 14, 2012, on behalf of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted of bias intimidation for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man. The case garnered national attention because his roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010, just days after the spying. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

• Dharun Ravi, center, is helped by his father, Ravi Pazhani, right, as they leave court around noon in New Brunswick, N.J., Friday, March 16, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life has been convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy. A jury found that he used a webcam to spy on roommate Tyler Clementi. Within days, Clementi realized he had been watched and jumped to his death from New York's George Washington Bridge in September 2010. (Mel Evans, AP)

• Dharun Ravi, former Rutgers student found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man, leaves Middlesex County Court on Dec. 9, 2011 in New Brunswick, N.J. Ravi rejected a plea deal that would have kept him out of prison and sought to prevent his deportation, accepting the gamble of a trial. Tyler Clementi, 18, committed suicide days after the alleged spying in September 2010. Ravi, 19, is not charged in connection with Clementi's death. (Noah K. Murray, AP)

• Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman talks to the jurors after their verdict in the trial of Dharun Ravi, on Friday, March 16, 2012 at the Middlesex Superior Court in New Brunswick, N.J. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life has been convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy. A jury found that he used a webcam to spy on roommate Tyler Clementi. Within days, Clementi realized he had been watched and jumped to his death from New York's George Washington Bridge in September 2010. (AP Photo/The Star-Ledger, Jerry McCrea, Pool)

• Dharun Ravi, former Rutgers University student listened to his attorney Steve Altman as he rejected a new plea offer at Middlesex County Court on Dec. 9, 2011 in New Brunswick, N.J. Ravi was found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, during an intimate encounter with another man. Clementi, 18, committed suicide days after the alleged spying in September 2010. (Noah K. Murray, AP)

• In this May 6, 2011 photo, Molly Wei, the former Rutgers student charged with Dharun Ravi with invading the privacy of Tyler Clementi, looks at the prosecutors during her appearance before Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, N.J. (Frank H. Conlon, AP)

• Jane Clementi, right, and her husband, Joseph Clementi, left, attend a symposium on use and misuse of social media at Rutgers University on Nov. 14, 2011, in Piscataway, N.J. Their son, Tyler Clementi, was in his first weeks as a student at Rutgers in September 2010 when he killed himself after a roommate used a webcam to spy on Clementi's intimate encounter with another man. The family has started a foundation in their son's honor to address cyberbullying. (Julio Cortez, AP)

• In this Dec. 9, 2011 photo, Jane Clementi looks at family photographs at her home in Ridgewood, N.J. Jane Clementi, the mother of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers student who killed himself after his roommate used a webcam to spy on his intimate encounter with another man, says that he had a lot on his mind just before he went to college. His mother says that in one conversation a few days before Tyler left for college he told her that he was gay, had doubts about his religious beliefs and was sad that he did not have close friends. (Mel Evans, AP)

• In this Oct. 1, 2010 photo, Rutgers University students sign condolence cards at Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J., for the family of fellow student Tyler Clementi. Rutgers University has planned a silent vigil to remember Clementi, who committed suicide after his sexual encounter was secretly streamed online. (Mel Evans, AP)

• U. S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks at a statewide town meeting in memory of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi on Oct. 6, 2010 at the Rutgers University Student Center in New Brunswick, N.J. (Bill Kostroun, AP)

• New Jersey Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Edison, stands with other lawmakers on Oct. 25, 2010, in Trenton, N.J., as she answers a question about a bill they introduced to toughen the state's anti-bullying laws after the widely publicized suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. The bipartisan group of lawmakers touted the "anti-bullying bill of rights" targeting public schools and colleges. (Mel Evans, AP)

• In this Dec. 9, 2011 photo, Joseph Clementi looks at his wife, Jane Clementi, as they sit in Ridgewood, N.J. (Mel Evans, AP)

• People walk outside Davidson Hall "C" Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, in Piscataway, N.J. The death of Tyler Clementi, 18, a Rutgers University freshman living in the dorm, has stirred outrage and remorse among classmates who said they wished they could have stopped the teen from jumping off a bridge after secret video of his sexual encounter with a man was streamed online. Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, was found guilty of invading Clementi's privacy. (Mel Evans, AP)

• In this Dec. 9, 2011 photo, Jane Clementi answers a question as she sits with husband Joseph Clementi as they talk about their son Tyler, in their home in Ridgewood, N.J. The parents of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers student who killed himself after his roommate used a webcam to spy on his intimate encounter with another man, say that he had a lot on his mind just before he went to college. (Mel Evans, AP)

• In this Oct. 3, 2010 file photo, people participate in a candlelight vigil for Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi at Brower Commons on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, N.J. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River on Sept. 22 after intimate images of him with another man in his dorm room were broadcast online. (Reena Rose Sibayan, AP)

• In this May 23, 2011 file photo, Joe Clementi, top left, and his wife, Jane, right, sit inside Judge Glenn Berman's courtroom at the Middlesex County Courthouse during a hearing for Dharun Ravi, in the webcam-spying case involving the suicide of their son Tyler Clementi, in New Brunswick, N.J. Joe and Jane Clementi said Friday, March 23, 2012, that a jury got it right last week by convicting their son's roommate, Ravi, of hate crimes and other offenses. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

• In a March 9, 2012 file photo, Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student who was found guilty of hate crimes for using a webcam to view his roommate at Rutgers University kissing another man, waits before court proceedings in New Brunswick, N.J. In a legal filing Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Ravi's lawyers asked a judge to overturn the jury's conviction. They said the jury convicted Ravi in March despite evidence that he was not guilty of invading the privacy or intimidating roommate Tyler Clementi, who killed himself days after the webcam was used. (AP Photo/The Star-Ledger, John Munson, Pool, File)

• Dharun Ravi, Joseph Benedict

  FILE - In this May 30, 2012, file photo, Dharun Ravi, right, sits with his attorney Joseph Benedict during a hearing in New Brunswick, N.J. Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted of using his webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man, is due to be released from jail Tuesday, June 19 after serving 20 days of a 30 day sentence. Ravi reported to jail last month even though he could have remained free during an appeal of the case. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)

Comments

[joemondo]

11:12 AM on 03/09/2012

Worth remembering is that Ravi had two plea bargain offers, the second of which included no jail time.

Presumably he declined because admitting guilt would put him at risk for deportation, and although the DA offered as part of the plea their support in arguing against deportation it's not ultimately up to the DA.

It's not the DA's fault that Ravi put himself at risk for deportation. It leaves them with only two choices: Charge him with the crimes they believe he committed, and not charge him at all because he's not a citizen.

The latter is unacceptable because law enforcement can't just ignore crimes because the perpetrator will have to deal with the circumstances of his or her life.

Sometimes justice is harsh, even when those in its service wish it could be less so.

[Gonzo36]

02:37 PM on 03/09/2012

Do you know what Ravi would have to plea guilty to? I can't find it. Because it is possible he had to plea to the bias. Do you have a link to the offer?

[joemondo]

03:14 PM on 03/09/2012

No, I don't know.

[Mafdet]

06:01 PM on 03/10/2012

So then if he is found guilty, will he be deported?

[joemondo]

06:27 PM on 03/10/2012

I don't know enough to say.

He's not a citizen, so presumably his conviction or plea of guilt could result in his deportation. Whether that could only happen after his jail time, I don't know.

[colokelly]

11:25 PM on 03/08/2012

Mean people hurt others. He could have just requested a different roommate. Indian people are among my favorite of all. Funny, generally peaceful, and well-mannered. He's just a bad apple!

[aariesgurl2]

09:44 PM on 03/08/2012

I think he recorded that guy before and found out that he is gay and what happens while he is out, he then plan his next move to invade the privacy of his roomate and he make that choice to include others when he turn on that web cam that night to record n broadcast that guy encounter, why aren't the DA asking the right questions like if he record him before and was monitoring all his moves and phone calls to know that on that specific night to have other tune in, this guy is a jerk and I hope he hold no friends no one should trust him, for him to do such a thing to someone he was sharing space wit, if the guy did not choose to end his life and he was here today to have his day in court he would have been suing for millions, no different that what KIM Kardashians paris hilton or any one else that made a tape of their sex act,, KIM K got 5 millions$$$ from a pornsite that showed her tapeRAVI knew he was hurting this guy by doing what he was doing and to had his friends tune in to view it, how could you not know u will hurt someone by doing so,,,,, maybe in India they don;t know this because in India its ok to rape a woman then ask her hand in marriage, he has a smirk on his face too,

[joemondo]

09:54 AM on 03/09/2012

Grammar.

[nik101]

09:32 PM on 03/08/2012

Stupid, immature actions on Ravi's part. Let's hope this creates change. Universities who do a better job matching room mates. Parents who teach their children about respect for others.

[Mara Valensuela]

09:56 PM on 03/08/2012

Definitely agree with you there, the "lottery system" of matching roommates is ridiculous.

[sunincancer]

02:34 AM on 03/09/2012

And he continues to make "stupid and immature actions" by going to trial. He should have taken the plea bargain. He's going to the penitentiary.

[werewolf90210]

09:16 PM on 03/08/2012

Responding here to OhioSpeaks after a previous comment to me on this thread was scrubbed. Regarding your comment there is no sociopathy present in Ravi, to that I would have the following comment: He is old enough and wise enough to realize what he has done. He is on trial in a criminal court, and the verdict could place him in jail, effectively ruin his chances of getting an education in the United States, and even get him deported back to India. The fact that he is in such a jovial mood in that photo would indicate that he either doesn't care about the tragedy his actions have directly caused, or is blissfully unaware of the gravity of the circumstances. The latter does not apply (he is certainly competent to stand trial), so it has to be the former. Sadly, Ravi doesn't care about the rights, and maybe not even the feelings of the individual and the family he has harmed, the hallmark of a true sociopath. Therefore I must disagree.

[WalterRetlaw]

08:03 PM on 03/08/2012

Ravi has become the real victim. How could Clementi have been so heartless? Ravi will have to carry this around with him for the rest of his life. And for what? Because someone was embarrassed?

Sure, prosecute the guy for invasion of privacy, but I can't imagine how anyone in their right mind could possibly argue that humiliation is just cause for suicide. There are people who are raped and tortured for years on end who don't commit suicide. So how can anyone reasonably expect someone to off themselves over a college prank/insult?

And in case it hasn't dawned on you yet, suicide is self-inflicted; a completely arbitrary decision based on one's own judgement. No one HAS to commit suicide. A whole host of options were available to Clementi. He just happened to choose the most extreme, unreasonable and final one.

I mean, where do we draw the line? If I were to cut someone off in my car, and they were to blow their brains out in mid-traffic because of it, would I be a murderer?

Ravi may have been a jerk, but he's not a murderer. More like, Clementi was totally unhinged. He could've had Ravi arrested, or switched schools, or done just about anything else. But he resorted to violence. And if he had directed that violence against Ravi, rather than himself, I doubt too many people would sympathize with him. Humiliation is not akin to murder, no matter how you spin it. Sorry.

[1NonlyJaymack]

06:48 AM on 03/09/2012

U sound ridiculous

[joemondo]

09:55 AM on 03/09/2012

Ravi violated multiple criminal statutes.

[ladyrosedeky]

07:36 PM on 03/08/2012

Hopefully Ravi will spend some time in prison where he will find out what it is like not to have privacy. That may give him some time to reflect and learn to appreciate other people's privacy when he looses his own.

[dixiebird333]

07:28 PM on 03/08/2012

Tylers mother looks just like her son, hope she feels good about not accepting her sons choice in being gay. Maybe if they would have not turned their backs on him he wouldn't have had to hide was he was. He probably had alot of guilt and remorse he had to live with because of his mother doing what she did when he came out. I'm not saying I believe in gay relationships, but I would never hurt a gay person on belittle them in any way. Some people are born that way, and some just want to try something new.

[CalebKMLeo]

07:20 PM on 03/08/2012

I hope he rots in jail and/or goes back to India, this is appalling! I hope that poor man rests in peace.

[KellyRyan]

05:37 PM on 03/08/2012

Ravi claims he was, "just protecting his things."

As Judge Berman stated today, "If you're concerned about your things, you aim the camera at the door, not at Tyler's bed."

[SonyaInTx]

04:32 PM on 03/08/2012

This is what I found on the concept of invasion of privacy:

Unlike libel, truth is not a defense for invasion of privacy.

Only the plaintiff holds the right to privacy. It is a personal right. It does not survive the plaintiff (the defendant cannot be sued for invasion of privacy actions that occur after the death of the person whose privacy was invaded), nor can it be asserted on behalf of family members. Invasion of privacy lawsuits cannot be brought by, or on behalf of, corporations.

Successful plaintiffs may recover damages for harm to their interest in privacy, mental/emotional distress, and special damages caused by the invasion of privacy.
___________________

I'll be watching for the verdict. I think Ravi will walk on all charges.

[tybofborg]

05:27 PM on 03/08/2012

Yay for not naming sources, but Pennsylvania civil law doesn't really apply to a New Jersey criminal case, does it?
Also, Clementi may not be alive, but M.B. is. In a perfect world, he wouldn't have to hide his identity and would sue Ravi on top of the criminal charges.

[Ron in NYC]

06:03 PM on 03/08/2012

But the family of the victim and yes, the boyfriend are alive. And I hope they sue the cojones off this kid and his family.

[Gonzo36]

10:03 PM on 03/08/2012

Both the 'boyfriend' and the parents have stated they don't think Ravi should go to jail for this.

[jnzcram]

04:07 PM on 03/08/2012

It goes to show how innocent people can at times become embroiled in the acts of unstable persons. He no doubt did something unethical but how could anyone have known this would lead to a suicide.

[edgySF]

04:52 PM on 03/08/2012

Not sure I understand your question. He's not being tried for causing the suicide.

[justin i]

05:21 PM on 03/08/2012

In the court of public opinion he most certainly is.

[vonric]

05:37 PM on 03/08/2012

and the judge, from what I understand, has been meticulous in keeping the suicide of Clementi from being a central issue in this case. Whatever the media may do, whatever public opinion may do, I suspect the judge is actually interested in a case on the merits.

[Clyde George]

03:42 PM on 03/08/2012

Ravi rold police he did this the first night because he wanted to protect his private property, and that when he and Wei saw what they saw, they turned the camera off. Some might buy that, but why would he attempt to do it a second time? It was clearly his intent to live stream a sexual encounter between Tyler, and MB that during the second encounter. He ever announced to everyone friended on his accounts to join in by watching.

He wanted to hold Tyler up for public ridicule, and the only reason he failed that second time, was because Tyler figured out that the camera was again on, and he turned off all power right at the power strip. The fact Ravi attempted this blatant invasion of privacy a second time, can reasonably be seen as a bias crime.

[notamuslim210]

05:02 PM on 03/08/2012

Bias crime doesn't exist. If he had tweeted an invitation to view his male roommate with a female he would still be wrong for it the fact the acts being viewed are gay doesn't change the nature of the crime legally. The court must decide if He either performed an illegal act (voyerism and avoiding apprehension) or he did not. Bias doesn't enter into it.

[Clyde George]

09:37 PM on 03/08/2012

He's charged with a bias crime, the court will be deciding if Ravi's motivations were based on the fact that Tyler was gay. I can't say how the jury will rule on that count, but there are many, including myself, who believe his motivation for his actions was entirely because he knew his roommate was gay. Actions speak louder than words.

After finding out that Tyler had already requested a room change, and lodged a complaint about Ravis' actions, Ravi decided to post a so called apology on Facebook. That self-serving apology, written about a minute after Tyler posted his last entry on Facebook, that he was jumping off the GW Bridge, was an attempt by Ravi to try to make himself look good in a situation, which he already knew, even then, was going to get ugly fast. Look where it's landed him. I hope he reaps a level of grief, equal to what he has sown.

[joemondo]

09:57 AM on 03/09/2012

Bias crimes certainly exists.

Did Ravi commit these crimes BECAUSE his roommate was gay? The evidence says YES.

[werewolf90210]

02:21 PM on 03/08/2012

Shameful behavior on this guy's part, and he hardly got charged to the full extent allowable. Aside from the obvious, subtle clues give us more disturbing insight into the mind of this individual and the thoughtless bigotry driving his actions. For example, it takes a real Sociopath to smile so openly and unabashedly in full view of glaring cameras.

[KellyRyan]

03:18 PM on 03/08/2012

Favorited ... the best defense daddy's money can buy

[werewolf90210]

08:58 PM on 03/08/2012

It does seem that money equates "getting off easy" in America.

[ramal]

01:49 PM on 03/08/2012

Hopefully, Ravi will be convicted of at least some of the counts and then be deported back to India for life after he has served prison time. If by some travesty of justice he is acquitted he should be hounded for the rest of his life and made an anathema to society.

[Ed Baker]

03:57 PM on 03/08/2012

He will likely be acquitted. Give straight people a chance to express their hatred of gay people, and they will express it every single time.

Straight people hate us.

[notamuslim210]

05:09 PM on 03/08/2012

There you go assuming straight people hate you again. Isn't that "BIAS"?

[ladyrosedeky]

07:42 PM on 03/08/2012

Ravi is from India where being gay will unfortunately get you the death penalty. Not to excuse Ravi, but it may explain why he may think he didn't do anything wrong. Hopefully he will be found guilty and spend some time behind bars where he will have no privacy. Once loosing his own privacy, maybe he will get why he shouldn't violate the privacy of others, no matter who they may be.