Dharun Ravi Found Guilty in Rutgers Trial

By COLLEEN CURRY
March 16, 2012

A New Jersey jury today found former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi guilty of the most serious charges for spying on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having a gay sexual encounter in 2010.

Ravi was convicted of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering, and hindering arrest, stemming from his role in activating a webcam to peek at Clementi's date with a man on Sept. 19, 2010. Ravi was also accused of encouraging others to spy during a second date, on Sept. 21, 2010, and intimidating Clementi for being gay.

Ravi, who faces 10 years in prison and deportation to India, was was found not guilty of some of the 15 counts of bias intimidation, attempted invasion of privacy, and attempted bias intimidation, but was found guilty of the majority of crimes.

Ravi's attorney, Steven Altman, put his arm around Ravi's shoulder shortly before the verdict. Ravi showed little reaction as the jury read out the verdicts to his crimes.

Clementi's case gained national attention when he committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge Sept. 22, 2010. Ravi is not charged in connection with Clementi's death.

John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger/AP PhotoDharun Ravi waits for the judge to explain... View Full Size John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger/AP PhotoDharun Ravi waits for the judge to explain the law to the jury before they begin their deliberations during his trial at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, N.J. on March 14, 2012.

Throughout the trial, Middlesex County Prosecutor Julie McClure tried to build a case that Ravi spied on Clementi's date because his roommate was gay, and told his friends and Twitter followers to also spy on Clementi, describing his actions as an anti-gay hate crime.

She argued that Clementi was clearly made uncomfortable by Ravi's actions, evidenced in Clementi's request for a room change that he submitted to Rutgers on Sept. 21.

"Three weeks into the semester and (Clementi) finds out that his sexual orientation has been broadcast to the defendant's twitter followers," McClure said. "His private sexual activities have been exposed. What do you think he's thinking? 'If Molly saw it, did Cassie see it? Did people in the hall see it? Did people in Davidson C see it?' You don't think that he was intimidated by learning that information? Fearful, embarrassed? He'd been exposed."

Ravi's defense attorney, Steven Altman, dismissed suggestions that his client was anti-gay or targeting Clementi. He claimed that Ravi was curious and immature, but not malicious, when he decided to activate hte webcam on Sept. 19.

"Why we're here is because on Sept. 19, and Sept. 21, 2010, an 18-year-old boy, a kid, a college freshman, had an experience, had an encounter that he wasn't ready for," Altman told the jury, claiming that Ravi reacted "immaturely" to what he saw on the screen.

Altman argued that Ravi only activated the webcam to keep an eye on his belongings while an older "creepy" stranger was in the room, and that Ravi's messages on Twitter and to his friends about the spying were just immature joking.

Ravi is also charged with witness tampering and hindering arrest during the investigation.

I'm predicting that we'll be seeing federal indictments against law enforcement authorities in Samford, Florida for obstruction of justice in the Trayvon Martin killing. There are reports that multiple witnesses contacted police with information that refutes the shaky statement of George Zimmerman, who maintains that he was acting in self defense. Plus, Martin's phone call to his girlfriend while he was being chased by Zimmerman corroborates the witnesses' version.

Zimmerman has to be charged.

I hope so, Klyd. I signed the online petition just an hour or so ago.

This guy Zimmerman is a paranoid, gun-toting loon. Have you listened to his 911 false alarms? In my opinion, he was just waiting for an excuse to shoot someone .

The feds are now involved and the matter will go to a Fla. grand jury.

Unfortunately, there are too many people like Zimmerman out there, and they give neighborhood watch groups, which are a good thing, a bad name. They are over-zealous police wanna-be's who are just waiting for their moment to emerge as a hero.

I see Trayvon's girlfriend was interviewed earlier this morning. She said she was on the phone with Trayvon as it was happening. He told her someone was following him. She told him to run. She said that he said he'd put up his hoodie but was gonna walk not run. Then she said she heard what she thought to be Trayvon being pushed because she heard his phone drop and the call was disconnected.

You're right SB about People like that being around. I call it "Joe Cop" syndrome. The police told this guy to NOT follow him but he did so anyway. It sounds as tho he wanted to be a hardass and of course carrying the gun makes him a "macho man". That combination doesn't go well together.

As I understand it, Trayvon was in possession only of skittles and a soda. I am glad they are pursuing this case because it just doesn't seem that cut & dry as Zimmerman would have us believe.

TIS

Does anyone know the history of the name "Trayvon"?

I'm betting you do.

Thanks for trolling me. Strokes my ego.

I was asking. I have never heard the name "Trayvon" in my life.

Yes, it means "innocent kid walking around with nothing but a bag of Skittles in his pocket and running into a racist moron with a gun".

Working at a school I am familiar with that name. There were a few Trayvons at the school I worked for. I guess that's why I don't think it that unusual.




TIS

Btw, have you guys heard any of the several 911 calls the police got that day where it seems the boy is yelling for help? In the middle of one call, you hear the gunshot and the caller said she thought the boy was dead. So sad.

Are you aware that every cop killed in line of duty in my area of Tampa has been killed by a black male? There's a reason why people are afraid of black males. They commit most violent street crimes. Minorities, mostly black and Latino are ruining parts of Florida with their gang violence and "inner city" .

Overall, whites are more likely to be the victim of a black perp than a black person at the hands of a white perp.

That's what makes a story like this sell. It's so rare.

The Knoxville Horror


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Channon_Christian_and_Christopher_Newsom

What really puts this story on the headlines across the nation isn't the fact that the killer was white and the victim was black. It's the fact that the police intentionally ignored plausible evidence indicating a murder had taken place. It is kind of mind boggling that they quickly bought into Zimmerman's implausible story of self-defense that is seemingly contradicted by uncontroverted facts. Had the police investigated the matter fully and arrested Zimmerman, this would not be reported daily by the national press.

And what's that crazy law about that you can kill anyone if you feel there is a threat. I understand that is Zimmerman's defense and what? Ok, you go free???? You know what law I'm talking about? I had never heard of it til now.


TIS

Oh! That makes perfect sense now! People should just start slaughtering anyone that makes them nervous because of gangs! Gotcha! Now it makes total sense. Emmett Till probably deserved it, too, because of all the gangs that would ruin Tampa one day.

Were these cops killed by young men with no criminal records armed with a bag of skittles?

Was George Zimmerman a police officer?

Should Black people be subject to challenge and/or assault any time a white person thinks they're in the wrong area?

Should someone who initiates and escalates a confrontation with someone who wasn't doing anything illegal then be able to kill that person and scream self-defense?

No, no, no and no.
It is irritating but unsurprising at this point of my life to see how racists love to piously talk about treating people as individuals when it comes to opposing any/all forms of affirmative action or anti-discrimination laws or procedures but suddenly seamlessly endorse the idea of blood guilt when it comes to black (but never white) bad behavior.

A child is dead because a punk bully with a gun wanted to show the world and himself how "tough" he was. That's the bottom line. Zimmerman should have been arrested immediately. The more we find out the less defensible it is that he wasn't. The fact that Zimmerman was allowed to go free and evidently wasn't tested for drugs or alcohol or anything is what makes this story so hard to believe. It's what gives it legs. And when we see that the local police department has had similar incidents in the past, it appears that something really foul is going on.

Well put Lilo. AND, let me add that Zimmerman had made something like 46 911 calls within a few months. They played tapes of several of them and in all he described the "perp"(?) as a black male. In the Trayvon case it sounds as tho he makes a racial slur under his breath. HE followed Trayvon (against Police request) and then says that HE was the one intimidated and it was self-defense? Lots of questions here.

TIS

It's called the castle doctrine.

Watch whom you accuse of trolling, Skinny!

Lilo,

It's not just Tampa cops who are shot and killed by minorities, blacks in particular. In Philly it's also the case. NYC has had a recent rash of minority on cop shootings including a black man from NC who killed a cop in ENY.

Why was Trayvon walking around with a sweater with a hoodie? We've had the warmest most humid winter we've had in years in Florida. Really gets cold enough for a hood but whatever.

It's not politically correct, but in reality, minorities are a greater threat to themselves and others in America. Simply put they commit more violent crimes.

No, I have not heard the 911 calls. Can you link to any sources that have been playing them?

And I don't think 911 telling someone to stay inside qualifies as disobeying a police command, although people are portraying it that way.

Whites die at the hands of black perps all the time and the outrage is minute compared to when the roles are reversed. Recent examples are the Knoxville case I linked to, and the girl in NC who was shot point blank by black carjacker even though she begged for her life. And no one in these cases is ever charged with a hate crime.

(CNN) -- A white Mississippi man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2011 murder of an African-American man, with the judge calling it an inexcusable, "despicable" crime.

Deryl Dedmon pleaded guilty to murder and a hate-crime charge before a judge in Jackson on Wednesday afternoon, admitting to the June killing of James Craig Anderson. Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill sentenced him to two concurrent life terms, saying, "This craven act isn't who we are."

"Whatever excuse you offer, forget that. There is no excuse," Weill said. He added, "The state of Mississippi condemns this despicable crime."

I saw Trayvon's parents on the news today. As a parent, I can't imagine their heartbreak. God help them and give them strength. No parent should bury a child - it's the ultimate nightmare.

For some reason, I don't see CNN or MSNBC giving this any play

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...blind-date.html

^^i saw them report that on anderson cooper a few days back

This is no doubt a heinous crime, but there is a huge difference between this matter and the Martin killer. As I stated before, what makes the Martin killing a national story (which is even sparking the outrage of FOX News anchors) is not the fact that the victim was black and killer was white.

It has made the daily headlines because the killer was inexplicably allowed to go free with his gun on his shaky representation that he was acting in self-defense and the fact that other witnesses, who refute the story, had their statements twisted or ignored. Had the Samford Police bothered to conduct a thorough investigation and filed charges against Zimmerman, this story wouldn't dominate the news.

The Oklahoma incident involves a brutal crime and an arrest. If there was undeniable evidence that he killed the woman and the police performed a cursory interview of him and let him go with a firearm, then you'd see this on CNN.

To SV, the liberal media is always racist against white people.

klydon - yeah pretty much. I'm struck by how even fire-brander Rep. Allen West (the black Repbulican Florida Congressman who once compared MSNBC to Goebbels) called bullshit on the Sanford police and added his name to the Congressional call for a DOJ investigation.






http://www.facebook.com/notes/congressma...320362644683436

Well put, Counselor .

Obama Calls for 'Soul Searching' in Wake of Trayvon Martin Shooting

By Devin Dwyer | ABC OTUS News

President Obama today offered a personal reflection on the tragic shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, saying the incident requires all Americans to "do some soul searching."

"When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids," Obama told reporters when asked about the case during a Rose Garden press conference.

"I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative to investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together - federal, state and local - to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened," he said.

Earlier this week the Justice Department opened an investigation into the incident which took place in an Orlando suburb last month. Martin, 17, was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain while he walked down a neighborhood street unarmed.

"I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen," Obama said. "And that means we examine the laws, the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident.

"But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin: If I had a son he'd look like Trayvon. And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are gonna take this with the seriousness it deserves and that we're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened."