Man who broadcast roommate’s gay sex online appeals to ‘invalidate’ convictions
The man who used a webcam to broadcast his roommate’s gay hook-up online has appealed for his conviction to be quashed.
Tyler Clementi a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, jumped from the George Washington Bridge in 2010, after his roommate secretly-recorded webcam footage of him kissing another man.
Roommate Dharun Ravi was in 2012 found guilty on 15 counts including invasion of privacy, hindering apprehension, witness tampering, and four bias intimidation counts – but the jury concluded the crimes were not motivated by sexual orientation. Ravi served just 20 days in jail.
Four years later, Ravi’s lawyers were back in court this week to argue for his convictions to be thrown out.
A New Jersey appeals court heard the case, after Ravi claimed he should be retried, be resentenced or have his conviction invalidated.
Ravi did not attend the hearing, though according to the New York Daily News late teen Tyler’s parents Jane and Joseph Clementi did.
Ravi’s lawyer Steven Altman contended that as the state’s bias intimidation laws have been affected by a Supreme Court ruling, the charges should be thrown out.
Altman also contends that some evidence, such as emails from Clementi to college advisers asking to switch rooms, would be inadmissible under current law, and should be ‘retroactively’ revoked.
However, Middlesex County assistant prosecutor Joie Piderit said three of the four bias counts should remain – as they were not affected by the Supreme Court ruling.
A decision is expected by the summer.
Joseph and Jane Clementi recently launched an internet safety institute in memory of their son.
