Rutgers University student Dharun
Ravi's lawyer issued a statement Wednesday urging the public not to
rush to judgment in Tyler Clementi's suicide, CBS News reported.
Ravi and fellow freshman Molly Wei,
both 18, have been accused of bullying to death 18-year-old Tyler
Clementi.
“Unfortunately, a life has been
lost,” attorney Steven Altman said. “Out of respect to Tyler
Clementi's family, this is not the time for explanations or defenses
or justifications to be made public by an attorney.”
Clementi jumped off the George
Washington Bridge to his death two weeks ago after learning that his
roommate, Ravi, had secretly streamed live video of him having sex
with another man onto the Internet.
Ravi and Wei have been charged with
invading Clementi's privacy, but officials have said they are
considering charging the students with committing a hate crime
because Clementi was gay.
"In regards to statements made by
the prosecuting agencies of their continuing investigation and
whether to file bias charges against Dharun Ravi, I am heartened to
hear that they are taking their time to learn all the facts before
rushing to judgment. I can only hope that the public will do the
same," Altman said.
On Tuesday, Wei's attorney denied the
student's guilt, saying she's “a wonderful, caring and talented
young woman with a bright future.”
Clementi's death has sparked a
nationwide debate on gay teens being bullied to death. The
subject will be the focus of a Friday CNN town hall hosted by
Anderson Cooper.
Ravi and Wei face up to five years in
prison if convicted of the privacy charges.