Research professor in law Paul Butler (pictured) says Dharun Ravi is a victim of the USA’s rush to find legal solution for every problem that arises.
Dharun Ravi is international news since he filmed his Chicago roommate Tyler Clementi having sex with a man and showed it to friends, then tweeted that Clementi was gay. This crass, immature and homophobic act would not have made the news had not the victim proceeded to leave a suicide note on Facebook before jumping off a bridge to his death. The question of what to do with Ravi has America perplexed. Under invasion of privacy laws (there are 15 laws in New Jersey under which he is indictable) Ravi could face up to 10 years in prison now. The most likely penalty is expected to be 5 years inside with immediate deportation to India – where he has not resided since he was 2 – upon his release, since Ravi himself rejected a plea bargaining lifeline offered by the prosecution, which would have let him off the prison sentence and the deportation.
In an article for CNN, Paul Butler says this over-reaction will not help the campaign against homophobia.
To read the article go here