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<span style="font-style: italic"> ... im lucky ...
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He gets 30 days in jail.
*****
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Live blog: Dharun Ravi sentenced to 30 day sentence
Published: Monday, May 21, 2012, 12:40 PM Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012, 12:43 PM
Star-Ledger Staff By Star-Ledger Staff The Star-Ledger
Dharun Ravi sentencing
Enlarge Star-Ledger Staff Dharun Ravi in the courtroom for his sentencing at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick. 5/12/12 (John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger) Dharun Ravi sentencing gallery (26 photos)
By Megan DeMarco and Alexi Friedman/The Star-Ledger
NEW BRUNSWICK — Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi is being sentenced this morning in the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick. Ravi, 20, faces up to 10 years in prison on bias intimidation and invasion of privacy charges.
Follow along with live coverage here, and be sure to frequently refresh this page for the latest updates.
12:41 p.m. - Going count by count, Berman said the first four counts - two invasion of privacy counts and two bias intimidation counts - are straight probation.
He said the counts "do not warrant a prison term," and the legislature did not have this type of behavior in mind when they crafted the bias intimidation charge.
<span style="color: #FF0000">12:34 p.m. - Dharun Ravi will serve a 30-day jail term, beginning on May 31.
He stared wide-eyed at the judge while Berman sentenced him. He had no reaction, he turned to his attorney and nodded.
Ravi will be allowed to return home today.</span>
Berman said his sentence needed to "constitute a measured response" and be "balanced."
Berman said Ravi acted not out of hate, but of “colossal insensitivity.”
“The word hate has never crossed my lips nor Ms. McClure’s,” Berman said. “This individual was not convicted of a hate crime. he was convicted of a bias crime and there's a difference. I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi. He had no reason to. But I do believe that he acted out of colossal insensitivity."
12:28 p.m. - When Judge Glenn Berman began addressing Dharun Ravi, he quickly pointed out that he hasn’t heard Ravi apologize.
“I heard this jury say guilty 288 times: 24 questions, 12 jurors, that’s the multiplication,” Berman said. “And I haven't heard you apologize once.”
Berman said he will recommend that Ravi not be deported.
“Down the road you can expunge this judgement,” Berman said. “You cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused.”
12:23 p.m. - All of the victim impact statements are now complete. Dharun Ravi will not speak on his own behalf.
12:18 p.m. - Breaking down and crying, Dharun Ravi’s mother, Sabitha Ravi, said Ravi has been “broken into pieces” for the past 20 months.
“The media was ripping him apart with their misleading facts and wrongful statements of the prominent people, he was absolutely devastated and broken into pieces,” she said, as her son sitting next to her crying.
She said her son is “kind-hearted and loving” and “doesn’t have any hatred in his heart towards anybody.”
She said his younger brother, 10, “adores” Dharun and doesn’t understand what is happening. His only comfort is his younger brother and their dog, Lance.
“It breaks my heart,” she said.
“Dharun’s dreams are shattered and he has been living in hell for the past 20 months. As a mother, I feel Dharun has really suffered enough,” she said.
After she finished her statement, she hugged Ravi, who hugged her back, both of them crying. Then she sat down next to her husband and sobbed.
12:07 p.m. - Dharun Ravi’s father, Ravi Pazhani, said he did not raise Ravi to hate gays.
“We are not a homophobic family,” Pazhani said.
“No one cared about the more truthful side of the story because it was not sensational, doesn’t help media ratings, doesn’t give any political mileage doesn’t help advance lobby group’s agenda,” Pazhani said.
He repeated criticism of the media throughout his victim impact statement.
"Any printed story starts with the suicide, ends with the suicide, and Dharun is used to connect the two."
"I hope that common sense prevails today," he said.
11:53 a.m. Altman said, "This case has been tried and treated and exists today as if it’s a murder case."
When he said that, several people in the overflow crowd room voiced their agreement, nodding their heads.
"Exactly, exactly," one man said. "Yes," said another.
Altman said there has been suggestions over and over that “Dharun has some responsibility or some role in that terrible terrible choice of Tyler’s.”
He also appealed to the judge to consider evidence that he said the jury didn’t know.
11:47 a.m. - Altman addresses criticism of Ravi for not taking a plea deal to avoid jail time.
“They wanted him to plead guilty to something he didn’t do,” Altman said. “They want him to plead guilty to being a hate-monger, a homophobic, anti-gay. So shame on him because he wasn’t going to stand before you and cop out and take the easy way out?”
11:43 a.m. - Steve Altman, Dharun Ravi’s lawyer, said Ravi has been “demonized.”
“He’s being demonized by the gay community,” Altman said. “They’re associating and connecting whatever he did with the death of Tyler."
He said he has tried to keep the trial in perspective, and remembered the first time he met Ravi, and realized he was talking to an 18-year-old college student.
“We know it’s not the truth and we can’t get anybody to listen to what the truth is and everything’s just taking off like a rocket ship."
He said media statements from jurors show that the jury had considered the suicide.
Video: Judge in Ravi case says President Obama can not issue a pardon in this case Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman addressed the court for a few comments before the sentencing of Dharun Ravi. One of his comments was in regards to pardon requests sent to President Barack Obama and how the President can not issue a pardon in a state case. (Video courtesy of TruTV/InSession) Watch video
11:33 - McClure said she wants to address two aggravating factors, risk that Ravi will commit another crime and deterrent to Ravi and to others.
“When those acts went undetected, he was undeterred and he planned further acts,” McClure said.
As for deterrence, she said it was important to punish Ravi “so that others will be deterred from committing similar acts of bias intimidation in the future.”
She also said the hindering and tampering charges were important to be addressed.
“There needs to be deterrence to people who interfere with law enforcement officers,” she said.
11:25 a.m. - First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure is addressing Judge Berman. She emphasizes that the trial was conducted fairly and publicly.
“He received a fair trial and anyone who says otherwise is just absolutely wrong,” she said.
“Incarceration of this defendant is the proper, appropriate punishment and sentence,” she said. “This conviction represents multiple and diverse acts of criminal conduct. This is not a single, aberrant behavior of this defendant.”
</span>
</span>
He gets 30 days in jail.
*****
<span style="font-style: italic">
Live blog: Dharun Ravi sentenced to 30 day sentence
Published: Monday, May 21, 2012, 12:40 PM Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012, 12:43 PM
Star-Ledger Staff By Star-Ledger Staff The Star-Ledger
Dharun Ravi sentencing
Enlarge Star-Ledger Staff Dharun Ravi in the courtroom for his sentencing at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick. 5/12/12 (John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger) Dharun Ravi sentencing gallery (26 photos)
By Megan DeMarco and Alexi Friedman/The Star-Ledger
NEW BRUNSWICK — Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi is being sentenced this morning in the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick. Ravi, 20, faces up to 10 years in prison on bias intimidation and invasion of privacy charges.
Follow along with live coverage here, and be sure to frequently refresh this page for the latest updates.
12:41 p.m. - Going count by count, Berman said the first four counts - two invasion of privacy counts and two bias intimidation counts - are straight probation.
He said the counts "do not warrant a prison term," and the legislature did not have this type of behavior in mind when they crafted the bias intimidation charge.
<span style="color: #FF0000">12:34 p.m. - Dharun Ravi will serve a 30-day jail term, beginning on May 31.
He stared wide-eyed at the judge while Berman sentenced him. He had no reaction, he turned to his attorney and nodded.
Ravi will be allowed to return home today.</span>
Berman said his sentence needed to "constitute a measured response" and be "balanced."
Berman said Ravi acted not out of hate, but of “colossal insensitivity.”
“The word hate has never crossed my lips nor Ms. McClure’s,” Berman said. “This individual was not convicted of a hate crime. he was convicted of a bias crime and there's a difference. I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi. He had no reason to. But I do believe that he acted out of colossal insensitivity."
12:28 p.m. - When Judge Glenn Berman began addressing Dharun Ravi, he quickly pointed out that he hasn’t heard Ravi apologize.
“I heard this jury say guilty 288 times: 24 questions, 12 jurors, that’s the multiplication,” Berman said. “And I haven't heard you apologize once.”
Berman said he will recommend that Ravi not be deported.
“Down the road you can expunge this judgement,” Berman said. “You cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused.”
12:23 p.m. - All of the victim impact statements are now complete. Dharun Ravi will not speak on his own behalf.
12:18 p.m. - Breaking down and crying, Dharun Ravi’s mother, Sabitha Ravi, said Ravi has been “broken into pieces” for the past 20 months.
“The media was ripping him apart with their misleading facts and wrongful statements of the prominent people, he was absolutely devastated and broken into pieces,” she said, as her son sitting next to her crying.
She said her son is “kind-hearted and loving” and “doesn’t have any hatred in his heart towards anybody.”
She said his younger brother, 10, “adores” Dharun and doesn’t understand what is happening. His only comfort is his younger brother and their dog, Lance.
“It breaks my heart,” she said.
“Dharun’s dreams are shattered and he has been living in hell for the past 20 months. As a mother, I feel Dharun has really suffered enough,” she said.
After she finished her statement, she hugged Ravi, who hugged her back, both of them crying. Then she sat down next to her husband and sobbed.
12:07 p.m. - Dharun Ravi’s father, Ravi Pazhani, said he did not raise Ravi to hate gays.
“We are not a homophobic family,” Pazhani said.
“No one cared about the more truthful side of the story because it was not sensational, doesn’t help media ratings, doesn’t give any political mileage doesn’t help advance lobby group’s agenda,” Pazhani said.
He repeated criticism of the media throughout his victim impact statement.
"Any printed story starts with the suicide, ends with the suicide, and Dharun is used to connect the two."
"I hope that common sense prevails today," he said.
11:53 a.m. Altman said, "This case has been tried and treated and exists today as if it’s a murder case."
When he said that, several people in the overflow crowd room voiced their agreement, nodding their heads.
"Exactly, exactly," one man said. "Yes," said another.
Altman said there has been suggestions over and over that “Dharun has some responsibility or some role in that terrible terrible choice of Tyler’s.”
He also appealed to the judge to consider evidence that he said the jury didn’t know.
11:47 a.m. - Altman addresses criticism of Ravi for not taking a plea deal to avoid jail time.
“They wanted him to plead guilty to something he didn’t do,” Altman said. “They want him to plead guilty to being a hate-monger, a homophobic, anti-gay. So shame on him because he wasn’t going to stand before you and cop out and take the easy way out?”
11:43 a.m. - Steve Altman, Dharun Ravi’s lawyer, said Ravi has been “demonized.”
“He’s being demonized by the gay community,” Altman said. “They’re associating and connecting whatever he did with the death of Tyler."
He said he has tried to keep the trial in perspective, and remembered the first time he met Ravi, and realized he was talking to an 18-year-old college student.
“We know it’s not the truth and we can’t get anybody to listen to what the truth is and everything’s just taking off like a rocket ship."
He said media statements from jurors show that the jury had considered the suicide.
Video: Judge in Ravi case says President Obama can not issue a pardon in this case Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman addressed the court for a few comments before the sentencing of Dharun Ravi. One of his comments was in regards to pardon requests sent to President Barack Obama and how the President can not issue a pardon in a state case. (Video courtesy of TruTV/InSession) Watch video
11:33 - McClure said she wants to address two aggravating factors, risk that Ravi will commit another crime and deterrent to Ravi and to others.
“When those acts went undetected, he was undeterred and he planned further acts,” McClure said.
As for deterrence, she said it was important to punish Ravi “so that others will be deterred from committing similar acts of bias intimidation in the future.”
She also said the hindering and tampering charges were important to be addressed.
“There needs to be deterrence to people who interfere with law enforcement officers,” she said.
11:25 a.m. - First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure is addressing Judge Berman. She emphasizes that the trial was conducted fairly and publicly.
“He received a fair trial and anyone who says otherwise is just absolutely wrong,” she said.
“Incarceration of this defendant is the proper, appropriate punishment and sentence,” she said. “This conviction represents multiple and diverse acts of criminal conduct. This is not a single, aberrant behavior of this defendant.”
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