Dharun Ravi Rejects Plea Deal; Judge Sets February 21 Trial Date; Rules Name Of Tyler Clementi Male Companion Must Be Given To Defense

A judge says the former Rutgers student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man should be given the man's name. But Judge Glenn Berman also ruled today in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that the name of the man, identified in court papers as M.B., may not be disseminated to anyone besides defendant Dharun Ravi, his lawyer and his lawyer's investigator. The Star-Ledger reports that Ravi also turned down a plea deal that would have put him in prison for no more than five years. The judge set a February 21 trial date. Ravi faces charges including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy. The 19-year-old's roommate, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide days after the alleged spying, sparking a national discussion about bullying of young gays. In court papers, M.B. said he has "continuous and overwhelming" fears of having his privacy invaded if his name is disclosed. A prosecutor says she may appeal today's ruling. Prosecutors say Clementi killed himself days after learning about the spying. The suicide touched off a national conversation about bullying of young gays. Among his other rulings this morning, Berman agreed with the state that personal letters, documents and the contents of Clementi's computer should not be turned over to the defense as part of discovery. He sealed them and only allowed a county investigator's report on what the computer contains — without the details — be given to Ravi and his attorney, Steven Altman. Berman reviewed the documents after Altman made a motion last month, asking for them, including the Port Authority police reports on Clementi's suicide, a letter found in Clementi's backpack in their dorm room, and personal entries made by Clementi in September 2010 that were found in his computer. The judge also denied a motion by Altman to recuse himself from presiding over the trial. Altman made the motion after viewing an article in the New York Times last month in which a television producer who created a new reality show about people who use the internet to spew hatred and about celebrities. In the article, Lisa Gregorish-Dempsey, said she had a personal interest in internet bullying because she has a gay nephew and her cousin, Berman, is the judge in the Ravi case.