# Dharun Ravi gets.... 30 DAYS? Oh. Really? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639 "2012-05-21T18:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/41 "2012-05-21T23:08:42Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > No, no, no. Don’t you remember ANYTHING from the Mod instructions? We eat the favored ones first, so they don’t have to watch the others being devoured. I thought it was eat the flavored ones? That seems to make more sense to me. And we all know **Fenris** is pretty tasteless. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/42 "2012-05-21T23:19:35Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > No, no, no. Don’t you remember ANYTHING from the Mod instructions? We eat the favored ones first, so they don’t have to watch the others being devoured. Didn’t you see Commando? He lies. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/43 "2012-05-21T23:32:57Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > “Bury the rag deep in your face, for now’s the time for your tears” Bob Dylan > What a travesty. Appropriate since Zinger didn’t kill Hattie Carol anymore then Ravi killed Clementi. But anyways, I’d be angry if he didn’t get any jail time, but thirty days plus probation seems reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/44 "2012-05-21T23:36:00Z")
I’m actually ok with the sentence. He doesn’t come from a powerful family nor he is an athlete or entertainer to whom the usual rules don’t apply to. I highly doubt company background checks are going to get any less stringent in the next 40-50 years of Ravi’s working career. Every time he goes to apply for a job, this incident is going to pop up on his background screening. While the story will have faded from the headlines, he’ll still be explaining this criminal convictions for years to come. That’s going to be a large hurdle to overcome in a large US company HR department. He was convicted on [15 criminal counts.](http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/dharun_ravi_sentencing_live_co.html) He was an ass for what he did, but he’s going to be paying for it for years beyond the jail sentence and probationary period. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/45 "2012-05-22T00:21:57Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > EDIT: And I would prefer him deported, too, as long as we’re going to keep having stupid immigration policy. Let someone who can handle not being a bigot come in. Too bad we’re stuck with you. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/46 "2012-05-22T00:34:37Z")
Taking everything into account, 30 days seems slightly on the low side, but not excessively low. I too have a lot of contempt for Ravi and his attitudes (“I hate poor people”). But his punishment seems proportional to mr and does serve as a warning to other stupid college kids. Those demanding his deportation are just being hateful. He grew up the way he is in our society. He’s our problem, not India’s problem. Deportation should never be an option against those who have legal permanent status. It should only be used against tourists, diplomats, and others who were here temporarily from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/47 "2012-05-22T00:43:37Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > He grew up the way he is in our society. He’s our problem, not India’s problem. How long has he lived in the USA? I’m inclined to agree with you, but if he is not an American citizen, deportation is an easy way to get rid of assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/48 "2012-05-22T00:57:57Z")
Which is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/49 "2012-05-22T01:11:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I like you, **Fenris**. That’s why I’m going to kill you last. Now I’m waiting for you to kill **Fenris** and just before you do, say to him, “Remember when I said I would kill you last? I lied.” In an Austrian accent, of course. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/50 "2012-05-22T01:11:47Z")
If I were a judge, I’d have probably sentenced him to more than 30 days, but not necessarily a lot more. Ten years was on the table, from what I remember from the verdict, and that would have been outrageously excessive for the crime. It’s not clear how much Ravi’s actions had to do with Clementi’s suicide. Homophobic bullying is obviously not okay, and spying on a roommate’s romantic encounters via webcam is far beyond creepy and definitely something that should be punished. But we’re also talking about a kid who had a preexisting mental illness that predisposed him to suicide, and it’s really unclear how Ravi’s actions contributed to what he did. I’d like to see a longer sentence because the courts should be using sentencing to set limits on acceptable uses of these new technologies we’ve all been having to get used to. And this was a totally unacceptable action, from a kid who is clearly an asshole. But even if Ravi was the last straw, he’s not responsible for this poor guy’s suicide. Clementi had problems that predated his arrival at university and at most, Ravi’s disgusting action was the last in a series of horrible things that Clementi had to endure. It sort of pains me to stick up for a kid who seems frankly halfway sociopathic, but he’s not responsible for how this ended. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/51 "2012-05-22T01:21:45Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’m actually ok with the sentence. He doesn’t come from a powerful family nor he is an athlete or entertainer to whom the usual rules don’t apply to. > > I highly doubt company background checks are going to get any less stringent in the next 40-50 years of Ravi’s working career. Every time he goes to apply for a job, this incident is going to pop up on his background screening. While the story will have faded from the headlines, he’ll still be explaining this criminal convictions for years to come. That’s going to be a large hurdle to overcome in a large US company HR department. He was convicted on [15 criminal counts.](http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/dharun_ravi_sentencing_live_co.html) > He was an ass for what he did, but he’s going to be paying for it for years beyond the jail sentence and probationary period. I agree with this. Ravi was (and likely still is) a huge, gaping asshole. NJ worked hard to find a way to make being an asshole illegal. While I’m usually not _that_ big of an asshole (and only live next door to NJ), I am against making being an asshole illegal. If this were a man and a woman filmed and broadcasted, and the same outcome, what would be the penalty? What if there is no suicide? Looking at the count-by-count, probably the same with maybe less probation - which IMO is good as the invasion of privacy, to me, is the far bigger issue. Well, that and the witness tampering and hindering prosecution, but I guess those were minor charges (as compared to what Martha Stewart was nailed for doing). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/52 "2012-05-22T01:45:17Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > It’s not clear how much Ravi’s actions had to do with Clementi’s suicide. Moses and Aaron on a stick! He killed himself shortly afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/53 "2012-05-22T01:50:55Z")
I prefer my justice tempered with mercy. I was curious how the judge would rule, as I was unsure what I myself would have imposed. All in all, the guy’s life is already fairly well screwed up. More jail time would have added little to the punishment. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/54 "2012-05-22T01:58:10Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Moses and Aaron on a stick! He killed himself shortly afterwards. Yes, but the curious thing about this whole situation is that they left a lot of electronic evidence behind them. I found the article that got me wondering in the first place: [Dharun Ravi, the Rutgers student who spied on Tyler Clementi, should accept the plea deal from New Jersey authorities.](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/02/dharun_ravi_the_rutgers_student_who_spied_on_tyler_clementi_should_accept_the_plea_deal_from_new_jersey_authorities_.html) And believe me, I don’t feel good about being in a position of defending a half-way sociopathic jerk who bullied his gay roommate. But I just think he’s at most partially to blame for Tyler Clementi’s suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/55 "2012-05-22T02:02:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Moses and Aaron on a stick! He killed himself shortly afterwards. People have been recorded sexing before–straight or gay–without killing themselves. The video can’t single-handedly explain Clementi’s suicide. The recording clearly contributed, but it’s not clear whether it was 80% of Clementi’s decision or 0.8%. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/56 "2012-05-22T02:14:09Z")
I’m not too upset about the 30 days for the original offense. I would have added considerably more for the evidence and witness tampering, though. It’s one thing to argue that your immature, irresponsible, and illegal act really wasn’t the cause of someone’s death, and that it wasn’t an especially egregious act; it’s quite another to actively try to hide the circumstances and the truth of your actions from the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/57 "2012-05-22T02:35:17Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > The recording clearly contributed, but it’s not clear whether it was 80% of Clementi’s decision or 0.8%. Horse pucky. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/58 "2012-05-22T06:06:26Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Appropriate since Zinger didn’t kill Hattie Carol anymore then Ravi killed Clementi. [Hmm?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_and_a_day_rule) ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/59 "2012-05-22T12:42:41Z")
Something to keep in mind is some rapists do less than ten years, many people who commit manslaughter, aggravated assault, attempted murder, etc do less than ten years. I’m comfortable with some aspects of what this guy did being illegal (in a lot of states surreptitious video recording has been slowly criminalized as the law responds to new technology–and I think it should be a criminal act), I’m fine with them tacking on the bias charge even though I still don’t think that was his primary motivation. I suspect he would have done the same thing to a straight roommate he didn’t get along with who was having a girlfriend over to have sex with. So basically I think a 30 day sentence is right in the wheel house of what is appropriate. I think people who really think he should go to prison for ten years should take a look at our prisons and see how many people who have committed undeniably worse crimes get lighter sentences than that. The justice system shouldn’t slap a bunch of penny ante charges on somebody for one act which in itself is “light” felony probably deserving of a brief incarceration and probationary period to try and bump it up to a really long prison term, longer than what you’d receive for a serious felony. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639/60 "2012-05-22T12:55:16Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Eh. Two men shoot people…three days later, one victim dies. Are the men charged differently? Before you ask **Terr** this question, be sure to specify which, if any, of the shooting victims is gay, as that will likely change the answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dharun-ravi-gets-30-days-oh-really/622639.md?page=4)