Dharun Ravi Sentenced

[tednlou2]

30 days in jail.  I think that is too much, as he's already been through hell.

 http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=16394014

[emeraldize]

I don't.

[geobee]

The man needs to apologize or show some genuine remorse.

[Matty the Damned]

30 days in jail.  I think that is too much, as he's already been through hell.

 http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=16394014

I like this new trolly persona you've adopted Theodora.

MtD

[Joe K]

30 days in jail.  I think that is too much, as he's already been through hell.

At least he is still alive.

Joe

[red_Dragon888]

It was ashamed what happened.  No winners here.

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

30 days in jail.  I think that is too much, as he's already been through hell.

Well let me post some of your "private" sexcapades online for the entire world to see and then come back and tell me how you feel.

Oh right.  You did admit that you once serviced men in adult bookstores so I guess you can't relate to what it feels like to have everyone seeing you do something others shouldn't see, unless you're a porn star or someone seeking your 15 minutes of shame 

[Miss Philicia]

Well let me post some of your "private" sexcapades online for the entire world to see and then come back and tell me how you feel.

Oh, I've had that done to me on AOL chat 12 years ago with a webcam.

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

Oh, I've had that done to me on AOL chat 12 years ago with a webcam.

And it wasn't on Pay-Per-View?

:: dead

[mecch]

The man needs to apologize or show some genuine remorse.

Right on.

But then a lot of Americans love bratty & rich bullies who show no remorse.  (Romney)

Just youthful hijinks, everyone.

[spacebarsux]

I saw this guy’s interview and he didn’t show a speck of contrition, didn’t even try to conceal his smarmy look. All his talk is self-serving defensive rambling.

[Hellraiser]

I saw this guy’s interview and he didn’t show a speck of contrition, didn’t even try to conceal his smarmy look. All his talk is self-serving defensive rambling.

He's a 20 year old.  Most 20 year old college students are self-serving and smarmy, it comes with the territory. 

[Gary S]

Should have been 30 years....with a live feed from his cell the day he becomes someone's bitch. His actions were despicable and a sentence of 30 days insults the memory of Tyler Clementi

[emeraldize]

copied from an online article

Quick Poll

Do you think the Dharun Ravi sentencing is fair?Yes.
29.61%

No, it's too harsh.
17.52%

No, it's too lenient.
52.87%
 

[Miss Philicia]

copied from an online article

Quick Poll

Do you think the Dharun Ravi sentencing is fair?Yes.
29.61%

No, it's too harsh.
17.52%

No, it's too lenient.
52.87%
 

If you combine "fair" and "too harsh" into a single "not lenient" two choice poll then the opinion is only separated by 5.7%

[LM]

Far too lenient. He should have been given a sentence of at least a year or two. And I didn't follow much the story, but exactly what kind of "hell" has he been through?

[Miss Philicia]

When people here are saying that the sentence should have been more harsh, is this because what he did resulted in someone committing suicide? You should know that the suicide was never once mentioned in the proceedings and had no bearing. Obviously most people would not have committed suicide over this, and I agree thus it should have no bearing.

So put that aside and ask if the situation hadn't resulted in a suicide what should the sentence have been? You need to separate your emotion from the legal issue.

[emeraldize]

I think 30 days in jail is fine,  paying court costs appropriate, and 300 hours community service is good, three years probation suits, and paying a $10,000 fine to a state-licensed, community-based organization dedicated to assisting victims of bias crimes is good. Graduate-level good.

It seems many are upset he wasn't given more of the maximum jail term possible.   " Prosecutors hit Ravi with 15 criminal counts, including invasion of privacy, tampering with evidence. The two most serious counts, bias intimidation, could have gotten him 10 years in prison, though prosecutors had said the maximum penalty was not necessary."   This much punishment is going to fix his wagon for quite a while.

Imagine moving forward for him -- dating, employment, friendships. He f'd up, he'll pay in ways we can well imagine, and hopefully no one will do anything crazy and hurt him physically.

He and his attorney are going to appeal the conviction.

[Gary S]

The prosecution has stated they also intend to appeal (as well they should) looking for a harsher sentence. So while 10 years may have not been necessary, 30 days is extreme on the leniency side.

He was, after all, found guilty of a hate crime by the jury. Whether or not the judge felt that Ravi hated Clementi does not erase the fact the jury found him guilty of a hate crime (bias intimidation).

This is bullying. Some gay kids get bullied and don't commit suicide and some do. We have to get intolerant of it and 30 days feels like a slap on the wrist.

[Hellraiser]

Let me go ahead and put my horns on here.

Why do you guys feel this was too lenient?

Did Dharun intend for Tyler to commit suicide?  No.
Did he think that it might be a result of his actions?  I'm going to guess No.
Was what he did the actions of a major creep and douchebag?  Yes
Were these actions motivated by the fact that his room mate was gay? Yes.

The judge (and I think rightly so) decided that he was guilty but that what he did were decisions made without any empathy for the victim or any forethought as to what the actual consequences might be.  I think everyone is looking to hold someone accountable for the suicide and Dharun is the easy target.  He's despicable in character, but probably just the last in a line of many MANY factors that contributed to Tyler Clementi's suicide.

[mecch]

He was, after all, found guilty of a hate crime by the jury. Whether or not the judge felt that Ravi hated Clementi does not erase the fact the jury found him guilty of a hate crime (bias intimidation).

It doesn't need to be about the character or intentions of the victim or the Ravi, at this point.
Hellraiser, some of us "feel" that the punishment is lenient because it was a hate crime conviction.
But I am sure the light sentence was permitted by law, for that crime, so the judge went lenient rather than harsh. 

That's all.  I don't see the point of the prosecution pushing for another trial.  The conviction was achieved, the point was made, Ravi will pay consequences for quite some time, so lets everyone else consider this justice and move on..., in my opinion.

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

The conviction was achieved, the point was made, Ravi will pay consequences for quite some time, so lets everyone else consider this justice and move on..., in my opinion.

You are living in some alternative universe if you think people should just sweep things under the rug because of what you believe.  People have strong convictions and you of all people should know you cannot get the majority of any group of people to agree about the slightest thing because (most) humans have a tendency to feel that they are right, period.

That's just my opinion 

[mecch]

Just stating my opinion. Not demanding people agree.  Just give my opinion.
Not sweeping anything under the rug to say that justice has been served.  There was a conviction by a trial and a jury, and a punishment.  All straightforward justice.  Ravi's reputation is forever tarnished, even if the punishment is only 30 days, which I agree is light. 
Just my opinion that this could just as well be the end of the question, "was justice done, or not?".   It's not an alternative universe to have the opinion that justice was done.  Though you may not agree.....

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

I never stated whether I agreed or disagreed with the verdict.  I was just making an observation, as it appeared that you expressed you were in agreement when you said

so lets everyone else consider this justice and move on..., in my opinion.

and also wanted others to be on the same page as you ~ before stating it was your opinion. 

I'm sure you can see how the phrasing of what you wrote could be easily miscontrued since you chose not to preface the sentence with an identifier stating "this is my opinion".

[Jeff G]

One thing that has always botherd me about the media coverage of any trial is when people try and judge some ones innocence of guilt be the defendants demeanor .

I'm not saying this is specific to this case but it has been mentioned . I think given anyones reaction to what happens in life in general can range from silence to hysteria depending on a persons personality .

This case is simply horrible all around , a young man committing suicide from another young mans thoughtless acts . I lean towards thinking that perhaps the judge and jury did a decent job here .       

[emeraldize]

Per this morning's news, Dharun has apologized.

[leatherman]

One thing that has always botherd me about the media coverage of any trial is when people try and judge some ones innocence of guilt be the defendants demeanor .   

exactly! often trials happen a long time after the incident. That means the defendant has already had plenty of time to cry about, to come to grips with, or to be remorseful about the incident. All the emotions people want to see have already happened months prior - if they happened at all. Now they are standing in public, after their lawyer has coached them, trying to put on their best poker face to not adversely affect the jury.

[emeraldize]

Please read the full article.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/30/11955003-former-rutgers-student-dharun-ravi-to-go-to-jail-thursday-in-webcam-spying-case?lite

[leatherman]

Ravi appeared in state court Wednesday to formally announce his decision to report to jail on Thursday. NBCNewYork.com reported Ravi will likely get a 10-day credit for good behavior, and may serve only 20 days in jail.

wow! I'm very surprised at the way justice is handled differently in different areas. just showing up to be imprisoned gets 1/3 of your sentence automatically erased. Anyone that I ever knew sentenced to jail time (drug offenses mainly) was immediately handcuffed and dragged off to serve their time.

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.

Liar. his actions were at the core meant to humiliate and embarrass. He'll probably be a politician some year being able to apologize w/o apologizing like that. 

[mecch]

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.

What a weasel.  (Or, is he seriously damaged goods: e.g. deluded, narcissistic?, sociopathic?)

[leatherman]

What a weasel.  (Or, is he seriously damaged goods: e.g. deluded, narcissistic?, sociopathic?)

I think it's just the way apologies are scripted by unscrupulous lawyers, defendants, and politicians these days. It "sounds" like an apology yet isn't. In the same way of preceding an apology by saying "If anyone was offended by what I said" - like it's the offended person's fault for being offended.

[mecch]

Yeah I guess thats the most positive way of looking at it! Let's hope its true. We already know lawyers can be weasels!

[Gary S]

Bottom line is this guy is a cold hearted, bullying scum bag (and his bullshit apology is further evidence of this fact). Could most of us have taken his cruel, calculated acts of hatred without jumping off the nearest bridge? No doubt. What does that have to do with ANYTHING??

Tyler Clementi was not just an isolated case of a mentally unstable kid that over reacted to a childhood prank. NO!! He joins a gut wrenching list which includes:

Jack Reese
Kenneth Weishuhn
Jay "Corey" Jones
Eden Worman
Seth Walsh
Jamie Hubley
Jamey Rodemeyer
Phillp Parker
Rafael Moreles

and hundreds of thousands more kids that felt like committing suicide was better than putting up with another day of the torment  brought on by the relentless bullying from people just like this creep Ravi.

Thirty days is fair because he's been through so much already??? You have got to be kidding me. We have to start letting all of these bullies know it is just not OK and if you're caught, you're going to do hard time.

I'm just glad to hear the prosecution feels like 5 years is more suitable (because it is) and is going pursue a harsher sentence in appeal. If you disagree, Google "gay teens that committed suicide after being bullied" and watch some of videos and the interviews with these beautiful kid's parents....then think again.

Enough is enough.

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

Yeah I guess thats the most positive way of looking at it! Let's hope its true. We already know lawyers can be weasels!

Stereotypical much?  That's almost as bad as saying that all professors are pompous, know-it-all assholes.

[mecch]

Stereotypical much?  That's almost as bad as saying that all professors are pompous, know-it-all assholes.

Where did I say all lawyers are weasels?  Leatherman offerred an explanation of a weasely lawyer tactic, and I agreed.  Yes, a bit stereotypical, but its hardly an outlier in this culture to mock this aspect of the legal profession.

Pity no "pompous professor" ever taught you how to debate a topic without resorting to personal insults. 

[Andy Velez]

Hey All,

Let's not have this conversation degenerate into some kind of hissy brawl.

Have your opinions and your says without slicing and dicing each other. Please!