After all the brou-ha-ha and the rumours of a decade of detention and deportation; the rejection of the plea-bargaining and the column inches of opinion; the verdict has been given: Dharun Ravi will face a 30 day prison sentence, 3 years’ probation, 300 hours community service, counselling and a $10,000 dollar penalty to be paid the the victims of bias crime for his behaviour towards Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death from George Washington Bridge in Chicago after having it broadcast that he was making love to a man and facing Twitters instigated by Ravi when they were room-mates.
While accepting that Ravi did not act out of hate, the Judge asserted that there was “colossal insensitivity” and noted that there has been no apology from him after his being convicted as guilty “288 times”. The sentence seems to have the approval of Clementi’s partner for the fatal night, known only as MB, who emailed that some kind of retributive sentence was appropriate. At the time of the sentencing, however, parents of both parties showed dissatisfaction with the outcome.
Judge Berman accepted that Ravi could still face deportation after serving his sentence but added that he would not be recommending it and that it was unlikely.
The case has filled US papers with mixed opinions and the liberal left are divided over what should happen to Dhuran Ravi. While Ravi himself accepted the stupidity of his actions he insisted he was not motivated by homophobia. He rejected a plea bargaining deal that would have seen him escape a jail sentence and deportation in order to state his case. Whilst some were concerned that he was being scapegoated others felt that he consistently lacked contrition. In a lengthy newspaper view where he put forward his case, it was even suggested that Clementi’s suicide was an over-reaction.