Possible Hate Crime Charges in Tyler Clementi Suicide?
New Jersey prosecutors are looking into whether to charge two Rutgers University students with hate crimes in connection with the suicide of Tyler Clementi.
Clementi jumped to his death off of the George Washington Bridge last month, days after learning that a secret camera in his dorm room broadcast a sexual encounter between him and another man over the Internet.
Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another student, Molly Wei, are already charged with two counts of invasion of privacy for allegedly setting up the broadcast.
But now, Attorney General Paula Dow said investigators are exploring whether they could charge the pair with hate crimes. Right now, they are not sure current New Jersey law would uphold such charges.
"I'm unaware of any case in New Jersey where the homicide statutes have been used to hold somebody responsible for somebody else who chose to commit suicide," Middlesex Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.
"Most importantly, I think we're looking at examining the facts," Dow told WCBS-TV.
Ravi and Wei could face up to five years in prison if convicted on the counts with which they are already charged.
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Yes, invasion of privacy is a felony.
No, an 18 year old should not be having sex in a dorm room.
A dorm room is for studying and sleeping it is not a hotel room.
A student should not be kicked out of his room for his roommate to have sexual encounters.
If Tyler chose sex instead of abstinence he should have went to a hotel room.
Just goes to show that abstinence is always best!!!
the law on it is stupid.
The idea that this is a hate crime is...well...stupid.
People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid. - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
that hate crimes are added to the charges, along with terroristic threating and stalking.
yes, invasion of privacy is a felony.
no, not hate crime. a dorm room is not a hotel room! tyler chose not to practice abstinence - he should have went to a hotel room.
just goes to show you abstinence is always best.
And so embarrassing that it led to a person killing himself over the exposition of his act, maybe the act itself isn't as pristine as the gay activist minority would have everyone believe.
People do not kill themselves when others learn they performed a beautiful act.
Something to think about.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
not condoning or condeming the act.
I do know this. I am straight but I would not want the internet in my bedroom when I am in an intimate situation. It has nothing to do with the fact that I believe the act of love making to be beautiful ...I do ... but their is an intimacy to it and a modesty to one's self, that would prevent one from welcoming intrusion. I can only imagine that it would be even more difficult if one were gay and no one knew that .... now their entire life ... be it only 18 years...would be layed open for the world to see. That would be even more overwhelming.
Part of going to college is growing up ... at 18 kids do not have the capacity to deal with all their emotions, so yes, even 'beautiful' acts can have grievious effects when preverted, as putting this on the internet did.
That he was "a little upset."
It was after the college denied his request for a dorm room switch that he killed himself. I guess it was the thought of talking to his dormmate that he could not handle. Either way, it is sad he gave up on life.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
crime .
You are wrong.
People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid. - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)