Rutger's spy case Sentence: Perhaps Fair Enough

The Rutgers webcam spy case has come to an end. The attention surrounding the case stormed national headlines and became a symbol of cyber-bullying. Tyler Clementi, a young college freshman, committed suicide in September 2010, likely over his roommates plot to publicly expose a sexual encounter he had with another man in their dorm room.

When the trial ended two months ago, the defendant Dharun Ravi, was found guilty on all fifteen charges. Today he was sentenced to 30-days jail time, three years probation and 300 hours of community service.

The announcement of his sentence though, has angered some who have closely followed the trial. As many know, despite Ravi not being charged for Clementi's death, a few gay rights-activists feel that he was should have been given a harsher sentence. Ravi was expected at most, to receive a 10-year prison sentence.

What I feel a few people are failing to understand about the outcome of this case, is that Ravi was not being tried for Tyler Clementi's death. Asking for a longer sentence because of Clementi's suicide, would be excessive. He was tried for what he was guilty for; invasion of privacy among one of them. It seems to me that Ravi's sentence was fit for his crimes.

Neither of the charges brought against Ravi were for Clementi's death. Suicide is a tricky slope, and it would be very risky to jail someone for that. When it comes to suicide, even if the evidence and blame points directly to another person, it's hard to just disregard the truth. With cases like these, it is common that people will act on their emotions, and not always the facts.

Penalizing someone for a crime that unfortunately points directly to the victim, would be unjust. There is much evidence that showed that the end result of Ravi's webcam spying definitely impacted, and ultimately cost the life of Clementi. It will also most definitely impact the life and future of Ravi. Whether he spends 30 days, or 10 years in prison will never make a difference. He will spend the rest of his life with the shadow of the case presiding over him and that to me, is the ultimate punishment.