Rhavi Shows Up to Jail and For The First Time Says He is Soory
Tuesday, 20 months after Clementi leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge, Ravi at last expressed some measure of contrition, saying in a statement he regrets his "thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices."
"My behavior and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone, were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions," he wrote. "I apologize to everyone affected by those choices."
The statement also contained the surprise announcement that Ravi will report to the Middlesex County jail on Thursday to begin serving the 30-day sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman on May 21.
The jail term has been on hold while Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan appeals Berman’s sentence, arguing it was far too light given the gravity of Ravi’s conviction on multiple counts of bias intimidation.
The second-degree crime carries a presumption of five to seven years in prison, with a maximum 10-year term. Ravi was not charged in Clementi’s death.
"It’s the only way I can get on with my life," the 20-year-old Plainsboro man said.
Ravi is scheduled to appear in Berman’s New Brunswick courtroom this morning to notify the judge of his choice.
Ravi’s lawyer, Steven Altman, who released the statement to the media, declined to elaborate on the timing of the apology, saying it was his client’s decision.
In a case that resonated across the nation — placing a focus on cyber-bullying and the social difficulties faced by gay teens — one recurring topic has been Ravi’s silence.
He declined to testify during his trial in March, and when given the opportunity to speak at sentencing, he passed it up, drawing a rebuke from the judge.
"I heard this jury say ‘guilty’ 288 times — 24 questions, 12 jurors — that’s the multiplication," Berman said that day. "And I haven’t heard you apologize once."
Ravi told The Star-Ledger earlier this month he was not going to apologize during sentencing because he believed no one would believe him.
"Anything I say now would sound rehearsed and empty," he said.
To Steven Goldstein, chairman of the gay-rights group Garden State Equality, it was Tuesday’s statement that sounded empty.
Goldstein said the statement seemed to have been crafted by a lawyer and noted it contained no reference to Clementi, a gifted violinist from Ridgewood who was 18 when he died.
"My God, couldn’t Dharun Ravi have made this statement himself either during the trial or at sentencing?" Goldstein asked. "Because if he had, even those of us who believe he should get more than 30 days in prison probably would have modified our positions.
"We all have hearts," Goldstein said. "We simply wanted to see Dharun Ravi’s heart when it mattered most."
Clementi’s parents, Joseph and Jane, have repeatedly expressed frustration with what they called Ravi’s lack of remorse. The couple could not be reached Tuesday. Their lawyer, Paul Mainardi, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was on Sept. 19, 2010, when Ravi remotely turned on his webcam while Clementi had an intimate encounter with an older man, identified throughout the legal process only by his initials, M.B. Several other students inside Davidson Hall, a dormitory on the Busch campus, joined in watching the encounter before they turned the webcam off.
When M.B. visited again, Ravi planned a second viewing, but it never took place because Clementi, aware of the first incident, unplugged Ravi’s computer.
Ravi repeatedly made fun of the incident in text messages and Twitter posts, many of which Clementi saw. Testimony during the trial indicated Clementi checked Ravi’s Twitter page 37 times in the days before his death.
Ravi later tried to cover up his actions by deleting text messages and online posts, resulting in his conviction on multiple tampering counts as well as the bias intimidation and invasion of privacy counts.
Once he leaves jail, Ravi still must perform 300 hours of community service. Under Berman’s sentence, he will be on probation for three years.
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