Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted earlier this year of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate who later committed suicide, will turn himself in Thursday to begin serving a 30-day prison term.
In March, Ravi was convicted on charges of invasion of privacy, witness tampering, tampering of evidence, and bias intimidation — actions that prosecutors said led to the suicide of his college roommate, Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death in September 2010.
Dharun Ravi
And for the first time since Clementi’s suicide, Ravi issued an apology for his actions, and said his behavior was not motivated by anti-gay bias.
In a statement, Ravi said he decided to “accept and hopefully complete the sentence as soon as possible. It’s the only way I can go on with my life,” reported the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
“I accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices that I made on September 19, 2010 and September 21, 2010,” he said.
“My behavior and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone, were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions. I apologize to everyone affected by those choices.”
Last week, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman sentenced Ravi to 30 days in the Middlesex County Adult Detention facility, three years probation including a requirement the Ravi complete 300 hours of community service, and attend a counseling program relative to cyber-bullying and alternate lifestyles.
During sentencing, Berman chastised Ravi for not apologizing for his actions previously.
“I heard this jury say guilty 288 times: 24 questions, 12 jurors, that’s the multiplication,” Berman said. “And I haven’t heard you apologize once.”
Nevertheless, Berman’s sentence departed substantially from state guidelines, which call for five to seven years in prison for second-degree crimes.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan’s office said the sentence was too lenient, and that they would appeal.
Ravi’s lawyers have said they expect to appeal the convictions entirely.
With good behavior, Ravi’s prison term could be shaved to as little as 20 days.
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So sincere.
Still alive.
wow only 30 days???
We all deserve to be treated eqaulity rights an all
30 days. hope he takes LOTS of showers.
30 days is rediculus…hes sorry cuz he got cot
only 30 days?
he needs to rot in jail
There are bars of soap that have LANYARDS for drop-free usage. (Unless jails now offer body-wash gel…)
He needed to go jail for 10 yrs..live here in NJ….it was HATE crime!! Wasn’t handle like that..but should have been!!
Why are they only sorry if they get caught
He should of went to jail for the maximum time…
a little too late for apologies!
This should tell us how important a human life is not….too bad that this crime is considered petty.
The prosecution already filed an appeal of the sentence. Any claims that Ratty’s attorneys are filing an appeal of the whole conviction are obviously B.S. They took his parents for a ride by recommending against a plea bargain — but he knows damn well that he is getting off easy, and that on appeal, he would more likely get a stricter sentence than an acquittal. The day he walks out of jail, there should be a huge crowd of protesters yelling “Asshole!” at him.
two issues at work…one is that he is NOT responsible directly for the death. The young man took his own life and that was in his hands and his choice and it was a decision only he could make. It’s regrettable but this isn’t a case of murder and he can’t be held directly accountable. On the other hand, this #$@#$ IS guilty of everything from illegal survelliance to stalking to harassment….all of which would carry a LOT more than 30 days EACH let along collectively. This guy got off because it was a suicide of a queer. If this was some jock menacing his ex gf, the sentence would be at least 6 month – full year behind bars. Total miscarriage of justice. >_<
30 days for causing someone’s death is no where near long enough, and the apology is way too little way too late.
Not motivated by desire to hurt, humiliate, or embarrass anyone? Bullshit. Then why’d you do it? There is no other reason to video someone’s having sex but to embarrass or humiliate him.
I am glad the judge chastized Ravi for not having the sense or decency to apologize, but truly who knows what his counsel was advising him about this. As far as the far too lenient sentence of 30 days which could be reduced to as little as 20 days, I am glad to see there will be 3 years probation and mandatory 300 hours of community service along with a counselling program relative to cyberbullying and alternate lifestyles.
To late!!!
No more having our children tormented. I lost too many love ones to AIDs, enough. Let’s stand up for their integrity by being there for all of our children.
The loss of young mans life and his families grief is worth only a 30 day sentence!!!!! Unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only 30 days. What bull. he should be getting the 5-7 years.
He said in his statement that he had no “desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone”. I suppose he was just simply trying to educate people? What a lying jackass.
What a liar. If Tyler was straight and was seeing a female, none of this would have happened.
Do any of you commenting even know anything about the case the poor kid who committed suicides own parents held culpability as well for being anti gay bigots and making their own son feel guilty and UN loved fit being who he was gay look at all the facts in the case before you judge
He got away with MURDER —- One of the reasons why some can literately drive an innocent man/woman to commit suicide and ONLY GET 30 DANM DAYS. Will there ever be real JUSTICE in AMERICA for the LGBT community. It is a damn shame. Then again IT IS A START in the JUSTICE SYSTEM for the LGBT COMMUNITY. Did he really apologize? Or Somebody’s trying to make him look good and sensitive. I still cannot phantom anybody get so impersonal in the lives of another while intimately been involved. No matter how one looks at it IT WAS WRONG nonetheless IF HE KNEW THERE WOULD BE HARSH CONSEQUENCES HE WOULD NOT HAVE EVER EVEN THOUGHT OF SUCH DESPICABLE ACT and CLEMENTI would have still been alive. CuBA has more common sense and it is a third world and communist country. We are going backwards AMERICA.
30 days. He will never grasp the enormity of what he did. We should ship his sorry ass right back to India.
^ this case is sad enough without your race card comment lou:/…
I agree Lata…I disagree with him serving time at all. It was a college prank and if it was a straight couple there wouldn’t even be an issue, it was not a hate crime and he shouldn’t be responsible for someone elses actions. As a gay man I get tired of people so quick to scream “Hate Crime” without thinking about if it was a straight guy what would the punishment be?!? I know real hate crimes when I see them and this was a harmless prank on a weak person who wanted to die anyway! If he was that ashamed about kissing a guy he shouldn’t have been kissing him!
please, he should be a regestered sex offender
why isn’t he deported.
Too little too late.
@John, a harmless prank??? On which planet do you live? That kind of prank ment to humiliate somebody by invading their privacy and filming them in what should be one of the most private things is a crime.
@Martin… most pranks are meant to humiliate someone. This kid wasn’t right in what he did, but he had no intention of Tyler killing himself. If he thought he was that close to the edge, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done it. But I guarantee you, this guy didn’t cause Tyler’s death. This one incident wouldn’t be enough to push anyone into suicide. There had to be several underlying factors, and even possibly a pathology going on. Ravi should be punished for invasion of privacy… but to accuse him of murder (as some have done) is only an attempt to ruin another person’s life in the name of “he shouldn’t have bullied him”. Unfortunately bullying occurs everyday, and if you can even call what Ravi did “bullying”, it wasn’t a long term, continuous assault that could actually lead someone to take their own life.
@Curtis, where have I said anything to the effect that Ravi has killed Clementi intentionally? As for one incident being enough to push somebody over the edge, it always takes one incident to push one over the edge. Usually this incident is not criminal though in that case, this incident that pushed Clementi over the edge was criminal, which in term of law is an unpremedited murder.
And sorry, because it was a one time thing and not a long term bullying is irrelevant. Different crimes, all crimes.
Justice for stupid childish pranks… Hope more people learn to think befoer they act…
He ” apologizes”…. but is he really sorry or just sorry he has to go to jail?
I wonder if Ravi’s ability to lower himself to perpetual asshole status, single-handedly, will ever really bother him on some self-awareness, introspective level? The type of introspection that causes a major transformation of the spirit? 30 days in jail isn’t likely to do it…