The conviction of a Rutgers student for a bias crime after he recorded with a webcam intimate moments his roommate had with another man has been reversed, reports NJ.com.
The incident four years ago put the spotlight on cyber bullying after the roommate committed suicide just days after the incident.
Attorneys for Dharun Ravi argued the charges against their client should never have been filed in the first place.
The Appellate Court ordered a new trial.
“Tyler’s private moments were stolen from him and used to humiliate him,” Tyler Clementi family said in a statement. “His life was forever affected and the lives of those who knew and loved him have been forever changed.”
Ravi was never charged with Clementi’s death and his attorney said the webcam incident had nothing to do with Tyler’s suicide.
Ravi has already served his 30 day sentence and 300 hours of community service.
The defense was bolstered after a state Supreme Court ruling in a separate case that struck down use of a victim’s state of mind.
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