Dharun Ravi Trial - The Myth and The Facts

[Neel D]

Dharun Ravi Trial - The Myth and The Facts


In September of 2010 two Rutgers University freshman students Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei secretly recorded a sexual encounter between another freshman student Tyler Clementi and another man. Tyler Clementi was Dharun's roommate at the dormitory. Then the recording was posted on the internet for the whole world to see. Tyler who was not out as gay was humiliated by the sex tape that everybody saw and took his own life by jumping off the George Washington bridge.

The above was the narrative that was spread by the media and the LGBT community and was believed to be true by the American public for nearly a year and a half.

And then came the article written by Ian Parker in the New Yorker magazine on February 6, 2012. This article told the real story. Most of the real story. And the rest of the facts have come out since, trickling little at a time. Many articles and editorials have now been written on this case. You have to read a lot of them to find out the facts. Finding the truth is never easy. But spreading a simplistic story about Good Vs Evil is very easy.

Dharun was slapped with 15 counts of criminal charges by the State of New Jersey and it contained 35 sub-counts of criminal charges. Charges included invasion of privacy, tampering with evidence, witness tampering and biggest of all the bias intimidation charge which is a hate crime and has very harsh punishment. The jury convicted him on all 15 main counts including the hate crime charge and acquitted him on some sub-counts. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2012. The judge can sentence Dharun for up to 10 years in prison followed by an automatic deportation to India. Dharun was 18 at the time of the incident and he is now 20 years old. The LGBT rights movement is not satisfied with just the convictions. They want to see Dharun get a harsh punishment. So they are still out campaigning for it with more new lies.

To find out the facts of this case I have provided links to some very good articles, in my opinion. Please read them and find out for yourself. The New Yorker article is a must-read and should be read first.


The New Yorker article by Ian Parker - The Story of a Suicide
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...fa_fact_parker

Burden of Proof, Analysis by Chris Cuomo, ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/US/rutgers-tri...4#.T293mdWEnBQ

Mark DiIonno, Star-Ledger Columnist interviews Dharun after the verdict
http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/...harun_rav.html

Mark DiIonno, Star-Ledger Columnist on why Ravi did not take the plea deal
http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/...onviction.html

Mark DiIonno, Star-Ledger Columnist on the muddled law
http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/...slation_e.html

Star-Ledger Column by John Farmer Jr., Dean of Rutgers School of Law-Newark
http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/20...ows_viral.html

The New York Times Op-Ed by Emily Bazelon
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/op...=2&ref=opinion

A hateless hate crime - Jacob Sullum for Reason Magazine
http://reason.com/archives/2012/03/2...ess-hate-crime

Punishing people for others' suicide (Techdirt.com)
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...-mistake.shtml

CNN Op-Ed by Paul Butler
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/17/opinio...iref=allsearch

The Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi we will never know - Richard Kim for The Nation
http://www.thenation.com/blog/166902...ill-never-know

[venkkiram]

I signed the petition to favor Dharun Ravi!

[Dilbert]

I signed the petition to favor Dharun Ravi!

why? because this guy was another cunning Indian who wants to outsmart the system by not taking plea bargain because his lawyer said so than anything else??

He is another Casey Anthony ! hope this time around justice is served ! He made a F*ed up decision of spying on someone..which became the ONE OF THE REASON for someone's life.
He better pays for it.

[NOV]

Its a prank. Not a crime.

I am wondering what led Clementi to suicide. Logic tells it cannot be Ravi because Clementi invited his friend a second time. Not something a fearful guy would do.
What was in the last letter he wrote? Why wasnt it publicised?

I am deducing that Clementi was led to suicide because of something that happened between him and his lover OR because of his mother's rejection.

Media, parents, friends are all eager for a finger to point and Ravi is the softest target.
Ravi is a &&^%$ idiot, but I dont think he is the one who drove Clementi to his suicide.

[venkkiram]

why? because this guy was another cunning Indian who wants to outsmart the system by not taking plea bargain because his lawyer said so than anything else??

He is another Casey Anthony ! hope this time around justice is served ! He made a F*ed up decision of spying on someone..which became the ONE OF THE REASON for someone's life.
He better pays for it.

I felt whatever happened for Ravi so far after that incident was itself a punishment for this act. And that's more than enough! Show some mercy!

[Dilbert]

Its a prank. Not a crime.

I am wondering what led Clementi to suicide. Logic tells it cannot be Ravi because Clementi invited his friend a second time. Not something a fearful guy would do.
What was in the last letter he wrote? Why wasnt it publicised?

I am deducing that Clementi was led to suicide because of something that happened between him and his lover OR because of his mother's rejection.

Media, parents, friends are all eager for a finger to point and Ravi is the softest target.
Ravi is a &&^%$ idiot, but I dont think he is the one who drove Clementi to his suicide.

Its difficult for people to understand this is whole student culture in america, unless you lived through it. As per me he has to pay this price. Liberal media is swinging this story other way around.. just like they did for casey anthony lets see..whether this gamble pays off..

[Dilbert]

This case takes bullying culture to whole new level. In some case like this justice needs to be served in order for others who have similar intent from not indulging in such act.

[NOV]

asking a 18 year old to spend years in prison for a stupid prank is inhumane.
cloaking it under american culture is even worse.
what more when there are more questions than answers.

[Neel D]

Dilbert,
In what way is liberal media swinging this story?

[Dilbert]

Dilbert,
In what way is liberal media swinging this story?

did you watch bill maher show last week?
did you watch the coverage on MSNBC of this case??