Dharun Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in county jail, closing one of the most publicized cases to reach the Middlesex County Courthouse in recent years.
Ravi, the 20-year-old former Rutgers U. student found guilty on charges of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and tampering with evidence in March, must also complete 300 hours of community service and pay $10,000 in fines to the state over his three-year probationary period, Judge Glenn Berman said.
The sentence was surprising to some at the courthouse, who thought a lengthier sentence for the second-degree crimes, which carry up to 10 years in prison, would be imposed on the defendant.
“The state submits that incarceration of this defendant is the proper, appropriate punishment and sentence,” said Julia McClure, the prosecuting attorney, before Berman announced the sentence. “Justice can only be realized by respecting and enforcing the law and punishing this defendant.”
Ravi spied on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, during an engaged sexual encounter with another man, M.B., via webcam in their Rutgers dorm room in September 2010.
Tyler Clementi committed suicide in the days following Ravi’s second spying attempt, but Ravi is not charged in conjunction with his death.
Although the second-degree bias intimidation charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, Berman opted for a lesser sentence for Ravi that also includes a mandatory counseling program on cyberbullying and alternative lifestyles.
M.B.’s lawyer Richard Pompelio read his client’s victim impact report during the proceedings, in which M.B. said he thought Ravi should be punished and acknowledge that what he did was wrong, but should not be deported to India, where the defendant was born.
Berman said he would not recommend deportation when signing his judgment.
Before Berman told Ravi his sentence, he heard from Ravi’s mother, who said her son has not left the house much over the last 20 months.
“He literally eats one meal a day to suppress his hunger. He has lost more than 25 pounds going through this ordeal. … Dharun’s only comfort is his younger brother and our dog, Lance,” Sabitha Ravi said. “Dharun’s dreams are shattered, and he has been living in hell for the past 20 months.”
While traditionally the defense provides its statement first, Dharun Ravi’s attorney Steven Altman asked the judge if the prosecution could provide victim impact statements first, and with McClure’s consent, Berman approved his inquiry.
The Clementi family spoke on behalf of Tyler Clementi in court, maintaining that what Dharun Ravi did was reprehensible and criminal.
“Mr. Ravi did these criminal acts … because [he thought] my son was different from him, below him, and he was gay,” said Joseph Clementi, Tyler’s father. “He did it without a thought or consideration of how it could affect Tyler.”
In all of their speeches, the Clementis mentioned the defendant never apologized for his actions.
“I watched as Dharun slept through court as though it were something not worth staying awake for,” said Tyler’s older brother, James Clementi. “Dharun has never shown any remorse. My family has never heard an apology or acknowledgment of any wrongdoing.”
At the beginning of the day’s proceedings, the defense asked for a new trial, but Berman denied its request.
The judge also announced that the former University student Molly Wei, who was involved in the spying, would have a shortened pre-trial intervention program.
Wei, who watched Tyler Clementi and M.B. from her room with Dharun Ravi, testified against the defendant as part of entering PTI.
She had already completed 250 of the mandatory 300 community service hours before appearing in court two months ago, Berman said.
In reasoning his sentence, Berman said Dharun Ravi did not contemplate harming Tyler Clementi before spying on him.
“I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi, but I do believe he acted with colossal insensitivity,” Berman said.
He granted Dharun Ravi a stay of 10 days, after which he must report to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center on May 31 at 9 a.m. to serve his sentence.