Currently Ravi's lawyer is speaking to the judge. You can watch the sentencing LIVE on CBS.
Earlier, Tyler Clementi's father, Joe Clementi, delivered a statement that stated that Ravi was a bully who has not yet truly apologized for what he did to his "vulnerable son" Tyler. Ravi has appeared shaken, but he did not cry. As one source has stated, one snippet from Joe's statement is: "When asked why he covered up evidence, he said he was trying to fix a problem. That is chilling."
Then, M.B.'s lawyer said on his client's behalf: "In [Ravi's] gratuitous media appearances after the trial, he made clear that I was to be his scapegoat... His concern that I may be a thief was difficult. He even went so far to say that when he learned about Tyler's death, he thought I might have been involved... I do not mind that Mr. Ravi has never apologized to me for what he has said... I also want to say that I do not want him to be deported... To sum up my feelings, I wish to state to everyone involved... have given their time, energy, emotion, and much pbulic money to see that justice was done. If the laws mean anything, then they must be respected. That is why Mr. Ravi must be held accountable."
As Out Editor in Chief Aaron Hicklin wrote in an earlier piece:
"The spotlight on teen suicide in the gay community was overdue and necessary, but it has also left us reaching for simplistic answers where there are none. That is not to excuse Ravi, who did a terrible thing, but it does beg questions around what purpose his imprisonment would serve. Does it honor Tyler Clementi's legacy? Will it prevent other kids from killing themselves? If you think the answer to those questions is no, as I do, we should have the compassion not to wreck another life as some kind of atonement for the one that was lost. Ravi faces up to 10 years when he is sentenced on May 21. A wise judge would set him free."
As the New York Times reported today, many gay rights groups are "urging leniency" in the case as well. As they quoted one expert:
"You're making an example of Ravi in order to send a message to other people who might be bullying, to schools and parents and to prosecutors who have not considered this a crime before," said Marc Poirier, a law professor at Seton Hall University who is gay and has written about hate-crimes legislation. "That's a function of criminal law, to condemn as general deterrence. But I think this is a fairly shaky set of facts on which to do it."
As former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who is gay, wrote at the Star-Ledger, Ravi's conviction "showed how far we have traveled from the hateful, homophobic past."
