Verdict reached in Dharun Ravi webcam spying trial

[youfiad]

10 years is much too long. I think a fair punishment should be that of invasion of privacy.. I don't think that 10 years is at all fair. The roommate can't be blammed for his death...

 

[Salemite]

10 years is much too long. The roommate can't be blammed for his death...

He wasn't blamed for his death -- not in court, anyway. The only thing he was convicted of was invasion of privacy (multiple counts) and rightfully so. At the end of the day, he did the crime and it's only fair that he do the time. He's no better than anyone else. No worries though, he wasn't accused of killing anyone.

 

[blackbeltninja]

I call bullshit on this.

In the "apology" he sent to Tyler, he claimed what happened was an "accident" and that his actions were "good-natured," and then he went on to text Molly Wei to ask whether or not she let the cat out of the bag that they did it on purpose.

His apology to Tyler wasn't sincere.

I think he was probably very sorry indeed. I can't believe he intended Tyler to kill himself; that must have come as an almighty shock. As a result, The messages to Wei simply indicate panic, IMO, and I think that's fully understandable - if any of us thought they were likely to be had up for murder, I suspect we all might hope to make it go away or minimise our role in it... I don't imagine too many people on this planet would proudly march into the nearest cop shop saying "yes, yes, it was me - lock me up" and I think anyone who believes most people would is being a little naive.

Having read the entire New Yorker article, I'm inclined to think this is all typically stupid and not-thought-through stuff which people do without thinking about the consequences. I can't quite wrap my head around it being a hate crime, either - it seems a far cry from other hate crimes, but I suppose this is all relative.

Of course, when all is said and done there have been consequences to his actions and now he has to pay for them - I don't think too many of us would argue with that; I'll keep my opinions on what I think the sentence should be to myself.

-d-

 

[operafan]

10 years is much too long. I think a fair punishment should be that of invasion of privacy.. I don't think that 10 years is at all fair. The roommate can't be blammed for his death...

I have to disagree with this. He can be blamed for Tyler's death. He wasn't the sole cause perhaps, but he was the tipping point. He needs to accept the fact that his actions caused someone to take his own life. I didn't see this in his "apology."

 

[BlueLantern]

Just a quick 2 cents: People are saying that there are worse crimes, hell yes sherlock, there always going to be worse things and lesser things, just because you can't solve the worse it doesn't mean you should ignore the lesser.

 

[unloadonme]

Yep, the BBC is carrying the story too. He got 30 days in prison, 3 years probation and 300 hours community service and won't be deported.

BBC News - Dharun Ravi sentenced to 30 days in webcam hate crime

 

[FPNY]

30 days is totally outrageous. It used to be that if you went to trial and were found guilty you got the max. sentence. I understand the judge not giving him the max in this case, but 30 days is not even a slap on the wrist. it's more like a hand job. My guess is the state will appeal this sentence and hopefully this judge will be set straight on what his role is.

 

[refujiunderground]

30 days is totally outrageous. It used to be that if you went to trial and were found guilty you got the max. sentence. I understand the judge not giving him the max in this case, but 30 days is not even a slap on the wrist. it's more like a hand job. My guess is the state will appeal this sentence and hopefully this judge will be set straight on what his role is.

well, 10 years in prison for what he did is extreme. besides, the damage is already done. i don't think he needs to be put in a prison facility with a bunch of rapists and murderers that will eat him alive for him to learn the consequences of his actions. look @ him. he would not survive in prison. i bet he's scared as shit to be doing 30 days in jail. he's feeling the wrath already. i think that he won't ever pull a stunt like that again knowing that he brought all that attention upon himself, his family, and his life is ruined for the most part because his reputation is fucked. don't think people would want to be associated with him due to the negative attention that they might have drawn to him.

i also don't think he's going to screw up his probation either because they won't hesitant to throw him in prison if he screws up. the fact that he was facing 10 years for what he did shows you that they're dead serious about locking him up.

 

[Tadaa]

Yep, the BBC is carrying the story too. He got 30 days in prison, 3 years probation and 300 hours community service and won't be deported.

BBC News - Dharun Ravi sentenced to 30 days in webcam hate crime

And a $10,000 fine.

 

[refujiunderground]

That's absolutely ridiculous.

30 days is light and nothing... this sets a horrible precedent... a stunt like that? A STUNT? This ended up with someone killing themselves. And all he gets is 30 days? I can't believe are still saying "oh it was just a prank... just a stunt"... nonsense.

Who cares about Ravi's reputation? I certainly f-king don't.

I'm outraged.

The prosecutors better appeal this sentence. It's ridiculous and I don't think it'll stand.

have you ever been in jail before?

i bet that you and all these guys talking about 30 days in jail being light wouldn't be able to manage a week in jail before you have a nervous breakdown, crying on the phone to your relatives about going home. don't knock it before you try it.

honestly, the heat from this whole situation is bad enough. i think that the humiliation and embarrassment this guy experienced from his actions from tyler's suicide to him being all over the news is more than enough punishment. if you want to give someone 10 years in prison, i would say you should give it to the 25 year old meathead in washington that almost killed a 21 year old by beating him senseless for complimenting his car talking about "i put people to sleep". he's a much bigger threat than ravi will ever be. i don't think a prison sentence is needed in this case. there's more than enough people in prison that don't need to be while all the people that need to be locked up because they're threats to society are walking around free, committing more crime.

 

[Daximus]

Six months or more would have been a more appropriate time for the crime.

 

[stachehunter]

Plus 10K is nothing.

 

[roadtripboy]

have you ever been in jail before?

i bet that you and all these guys crying about 30 days in jail being light wouldn't be able to manage a week in jail before you have a nervous breakdown, crying on the phone to your relatives about going home. don't knock it before you try it.

You're right, I wouldn't last a week. But, wait a minute...I wouldn't be jail. Because I didn't set up a webcam and broadcast my dorm mates date night to the world.

 

[G-Lexington]

He won't serve 30 days. I'd say there's a decent chance he serves nothing at all.

Lex

 

[refujiunderground]

Have you?

Are you trying to diminish my credibility because I haven't been to jail? You are making up excuses now and you are trying to pull the rug from my credibility. Have you ever been to jail? You have no argument... 30 days in jail is light for what happened. People get sentenced for several years for different things... much less severe for what happened. Open your eyes.

like who?

and honestly, why are you and everyone else wasting time on ravi or whatever else? shouldn't you be worrying about all these other kids that are being bullied for being gay by other tormenters and etc right now? you would think that with all the suicides of gay teens/young adults that people would be putting more of an effort towards suicide prevention or coming up with laws or initatives towards stopping the harrassment of gays. instead it seems like all the attention is going towards the ones that are dead and gone while the ones that are alive are being told that "it gets better" when they need something more. i find it even more weirder that the people that can relate to the situation at hand are just talking about what should be done instead of doing something about it. there's a kid in indiana that is risking getting kicked out of school for defending himself. even though he used a potentially lethal weapon, anytime a kid has to go to that measure to protect himself, then obviously people need to step up and do something. this situation is done and over with. it's in the past now. let's worry about now and the future.

 

[jensu846]

rutgers guy gets 30 days in jail

that seems like a pretty lame sentence.

 

[refujiunderground]

I've seen stealing get more of a sentence then 30 days. You're just making excuses about why he should be sentenced for less. You won't address the fact that this sets a horrible precedent and is no punishment at all. It basically says to bullies... you can bully someone to their death and you will only get a slap on the wrist. This isn't about suicide prevention or what-not... that's a different topic. This is about handing down an appropriate sentence for a crime.

And you still haven't answered my question... but I don't expect an answer.

This situation is done and over with? You're talking about someones life. I'm sorry, but no. I won't stop questioning what happened in this case.

It's about precedent and justice. And this sets a VERY WRONG precedent.

when you put other factors such as someone's rap sheet and if they've been busted for the same offense or whatever then yeah, they probably got more than 30 days in jail. it's not like ravi has an extensive rap sheet or whatever. the only reason why they would sentence him to 10 years in prison would to please the public or to send a message to anybody outthere that are committing similar offenses. that's about it.

what type of message would giving him 10 years send anyway? if this happened back in 1999 or 2003 even, it probably wouldn't even have made it to court for that matter. and i think you're confusing some of the aspects of this case with something else. tyler was harrassed by ravi regarding the webcam and etc. he wasn't bullied. if ravi bullied him, then i don't think ravi would be doing 30 days in jail. he probably would have got a year or two in prison depending on how bad it was.

and no, i've never been in jail before but i know enough about jail and prison to know that i wouldn't want to be there for a day let alone 30 days. i've been in the youth house to do some karate demonstration back in 99 with my brother and other kids from this karate school with our instructor that worked in the jersey prison system. needless to say that after that trip and hearing the stories about what went on in there, i wouldn't want to be in any jail for that matter. hell, even being a prison guard would be a risk but that's right up my alley anyway since i'm into criminal justice and that's the career field i chose anyway.

 

[roadtripboy]

like who?

and honestly, why are you and everyone else wasting time on ravi or whatever else? shouldn't you be worrying about all these other kids that are being bullied for being gay by other tormenters and etc right now? you would think that with all the suicides of gay teens/young adults that people would be putting more of an effort towards suicide prevention or coming up with laws or initatives towards stopping the harrassment of gays. instead it seems like all the attention is going towards the ones that are dead and gone while the ones that are alive are being told that "it gets better" when they need something more. i find it even more weirder that the people that can relate to the situation at hand are just talking about what should be done instead of doing something about it. there's a kid in indiana that is risking getting kicked out of school for defending himself. even though he used a potentially lethal weapon, anytime a kid has to go to that measure to protect himself, then obviously people need to step up and do something. this situation is done and over with. it's in the past now. let's worry about now and the future.

There's an old saying. It goes something like this: Those who don't remember and learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. That's why when you're worry about now you need to remember then.

 

[Ninja108]

while 10 years would have been too much..30 days in jail is a joke.

 

[FPNY]

well, 10 years in prison for what he did is extreme. besides, the damage is already done. i don't think he needs to be put in a prison facility with a bunch of rapists and murderers that will eat him alive for him to learn the consequences of his actions. look @ him. he would not survive in prison. i bet he's scared as shit to be doing 30 days in jail. he's feeling the wrath already. i think that he won't ever pull a stunt like that again knowing that he brought all that attention upon himself, his family, and his life is ruined for the most part because his reputation is fucked. don't think people would want to be associated with him due to the negative attention that they might have drawn to him.


i also don't think he's going to screw up his probation either because they won't hesitant to throw him in prison if he screws up. the fact that he was facing 10 years for what he did shows you that they're dead serious about locking him up.

I didn't mean to imply that he should get ten years, I think that is extreme as well. I listened to the judge during the sentencing and get the feeling that he doesn't agree with the law as it is written or he didn't agree with the jury verdict. This is a problem, he sentenced well under the guidelines for second degree offenses and that is where his (the judges) problems are. I don't think he has the ability to do that unless he can clearly state why, which he didn't. I thought his sentencing comments were unintelligible. I didn't even understand what he was saying and about what half the time, and I watched the majority of the trial.

In my law enforcement days when a defendant was offered a "deal" in lieu of a trial if they didn't take the deal and insisted on a trial if they were found guilty they were sentenced to the max, that is always part of the deal offer. It kind of makes you want to take a deal instead of a trial I think Dharun was offered a deal and he opted for a trial, he was found guilty so he should be sentenced to something more than 30 freakin days.....