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Lawyers in webcam spying case say prosecutors are withholding evidence

Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, jumped off the George Washington Bridge days after Ravi viewed the encounters.

Prosecutors say Ravi intimidated Clementi because of his sexual orientation, an allegation they will have to prove to a jury to make the most serious charge of bias intimidation stick. If convicted of that charge, Ravi could face five to 10 years in prison.

But Ravi’s attorneys said Monday that, after reviewing transcripts of the grand jury proceedings, they believe the prosecution has information that “if nothing else, showed there was no bias intimidation.”

“There was no bias intimidation, there was no bullying, there was no bullying intended . . . which the prosecutor’s office did not present,” said Steven Altman, who is defending Ravi.

Jim O’Neill, a spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, said it would be inappropriate for his office to comment, but he said he hoped defense lawyers would include their comments in whatever motions are filed later this summer.

At a hearing in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick on Monday, the two sides bickered over evidence and scheduling.

Judge Glenn Berman allowed Ravi’s attorneys more time to gather information, including reports from a forensic computer expert and a private detective. He told Altman to file his motions by Aug. 10. Another hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.

Altman also asked prosecutors to turn over several pieces of evidence they had withheld. They include a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police report from the day Clementi killed himself, a handwritten note believed to be written by Clementi and found in the dormitory room the day after the suicide, and information about the other man seen in the sexual encounter with Clementi.

Altman also asked for three documents found on Clementi’s computer, two of which were written before the two roommates met. Philip Nettl, another lawyer representing Ravi, would not say what the documents were titled, but he said they could shed light on Clementi’s state of mind that summer and fall.

Another former Rutgers student, Molly Wei, who watched the webcam stream with Ravi from her dorm room, admitted her role in the spying and agreed to testify against Ravi.

Wei, 19, of West Windsor, was charged with invasion of privacy. In May, she agreed to work with prosecutors and was permitted to enroll in a pretrial intervention program that could lead to the charges against her being dropped.