The fate of the former Rutgers University student accused of spying on Tyler Clementi is now in the hands of a jury.
Testimony wrapped up Monday in the high-profile case against Dharun Ravi, charged with invasion of privacy and bias for allegedly using a webcam to view and disperse images of Clementi, his roommate, in an intimate encounter with another man.
Both sides presented their closing arguments Tuesday after about two weeks of testimony, largely dominated by the prosecution. The state called about 20 witnesses, while the defense presented 10 witnesses in just a day-and-a-half of testimony. Ravi did not take the stand in his own defense.
In the final day of testimony, however, the jury did hear Ravi’s hour-long interview with investigators, taped shortly after Clementi committed suicide Sept. 22, 2010.
Ravi told investigators he set up the webcam not to spy on his roommate but because he thought Clementi’s guest was untrustworthy.
Prosecutors say Ravi initially tapped remotely into his webcam Sept. 19, after Clementi asked for private time in the room, and saw the men kissing, later inviting other friends to watch. Two days later, he sent out a Twitter invitation directing followers to what he said would be a live feed of his room again, although the webcam malfunctioned.
Defense attorney Steven Altman, whose closing argument was delayed several hours because he fell ill, told jurors that Ravi did not act out of malintent but rather reacted as a “scared kid” who did not know how to handle his roommate’s orientation.
He suggested that Clementi did not feel intimidated by Ravi, as, after requesting a room change, he declined an offer from a resident assistant to spend the night in his dorm and instead invited his male companion over again.
A number of Ravi’s classmates testified as character witnesses, asserting that the defendant was not homophobic.
In her closing arguments, however, Middlesex County prosecutor Julia McClure countered that Ravi was “bothered” by Clementi’s being gay since before they moved in together.
She said Ravi’s actions with the webcam were “deliberative” and calculated, not just a product of his immaturity.
“There was no other reason than to expose their sexual orientation and their private sexual activity,” she told jurors. “It wasn’t a joke.”
If convicted on the most serious charges, Ravi could face 10 years in prison. A native of India, Ravi is in America on a green card and conviction could also mean deportation.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].