The sentence came down today, 30 days for the Rutgers webcam spying case defendant Dharun Ravi. He will also perform 300 hours of community service.
Personally I have mixed views on the sentence. On the one hand Ravi is, in my opinion, a rotten human being who helped drive Tyler Clementi to suicide. On the other hand I have problems with punishing someone for what they think, even when those thoughts are offensive to me. Also I am not sure that Ravi can be directly blamed for Clementi’s suicide.
The sentence also did not seem to reflect the idea that the judge approved of Ravi’s actions as he said
I heard this jury say ‘guilty’ 288 times — 24 questions, 12 jurors — that’s the multiplication. And I haven’t heard you apologize once,” he said as Ravi sat silently, his chin often resting on his fist. “You cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused.
The judge went on to say that he imposed the light sentence because he did not think Ravi was anti gay, a conclusion I respecfully disagree with
I do hope that he will have to perform his community service in the LGBT community so he can meet the people he seems to disdain.