on the case

Is Dharun Ravi Gonna Get Himself Time with Prison Love On the Side?

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Dharun Ravi’s May 20 indictment for peeping on Tyler Clementi gave court watchers with three reasons to lean in close:

  1. Why does Dharun Ravi possess a total lack of fashion sense (check out his ginormous, McDonald’s clown tie)?
  2. What was his Asperger-like fascination with a tiny piece of paper as he walked into the court room?
  3. And why did his lawyers (presumably) scramble to attempt to erase the fifteen count indictment of Dharun Ravi on Scrib?

We’ll get to the scrap of paper in just a minute. For now, two questions are easily answered:

The tie: there’s no accounting for bad fashion from recently expelled Rutgers students.

Scribd scrubbing: public relations 101. The fifteen counts were almost immediately scrubbed on Scribd (though Dharun’s lawyers, apparently, being elderly have never heard about or aren’t familiar with cache. It was re-posted, and you can view the indictment here).

With fifteen counts that range from invasion of privacy to bias intimidation, we’re particularly interested in count 3, invasion of privacy:

“The Grand Jurors of the State of New Jersey, for the County of Middlesex, upon their oaths, present that, DHARUN RAVI, on or about September 19, 2010, in the Township of Piscataway, in the County of Middlesex, aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this Court, knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so, disclosed a photograph, film, videotape, recording or other reproduction of the image of T.C. and/or M.B. whose intimate parts were exposed or who were engaged in an act of sexual penetration or sexual contact without the consent of T.C. and/or M.B.; contrary to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-9(c), and against the peace of this State, the Government and dignity of the same. COUNT 4 BIAS INTIMIDATION 2ND DEGREE”

Take a moment to read between the lines (if you haven’t, I will): contrary to what Dharun Ravi’s lawyers have been good at hiding – and M.S.M. is too lazy or (cough) embarrassed to report, the indictment suggests that Dharun Ravi and his friend might’ve taken pictures of Tyler having sex (with “M.B.” whoever that is.)

But it’s the tiny slip of paper that demands the most attention and I think there are two possible answers: Dharun Ravi looking at his valet parking ticket, or some hot girl just handed him her phone number. Hey, it worked for Lyle & Erik Mendendez, the Beverly Hills Brothers & Sociopaths who murdered their parents in cold blood.

In January 1997 Lyle married longtime pen pal, Anna Eriksson (a “model”) but it ended when Anna claimed Lyle “cheated” on her by writing to another woman (Rebecca Sneed, presumbably, his second wife.) Erik bagged Tammi Ruth Saccomen at the Folsom State Prison’s waiting room. The wedding cake was, Tammi said, “A twinkie.” A true union of the spirit (conjugal visits aren’t allowed), Tammi’s daughter calls Erik “Earth Dad.”

So, Dharun, there’s hope! Even if you get ten years, you can still get married – in or out of the joint.

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