Dharun Ravi Sentenced to 30 Days in County Jail

Dharun Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, 300 hours of community service, three years probation and a $10,000 fine by a Superior Court judge in New Brunswick on Monday.

Ravi, 20, remained emotionless during the sentencing, his hand clasped to his mouth, while Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman explained the sentencing.

The fine is to be paid to a state-sanctioned organization that assists victims of bias crimes, Berman said. Ravi must also attend counseling programs that address cyber bullying and alternative lifestyles, Berman said.

Both Ravi's attorneys and the state plan to appeal the sentence, and have 10 days to do so. Earlier this month, the prosecution made a request for a maximum prison sentence in state prison.

Berman made a point of stating that Ravi was convicted of a bias crime.

"The word 'hate' has never crossed my lips or (Prosecutor Julia McClure's)," Berman said. "This individual was not convicted of a hate crime, he was convicted of a bias crime, and there is a difference."

Ravi was in March on 23 of 35 charges, 15 counts, of bias intimidation, witness tampering, and invasion of privacy.

The charges stem from incidents that occurred in September 2010, when Ravi spied on former Rutgers University roommate Tyler Clementi via webcam while Clementi was intimate with a man identified only as M.B. in their shared dorm room.

Clementi committed suicide on Sept. 22, 2010, by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. His death gained national attention as a talking point for bullying cases involving gay and lesbian youth.

Ravi is not charged in connection with Clementi's death.

Ravi faces state prison time if he violates the terms of his probation, Berman said. However, the probation term may be altered if Ravi completes the other terms of his sentence and is a full-time college student, Berman said. 

Berman said he would recommend that Ravi not be deported, but said he is not the final authority on that decision.