MIDDLESEX COUNTY — Molly Wei said little Friday during her first court appearance on charges she used a webcam to spy on classmate Tyler Clementi in an intimate same-sex encounter in his Rutgers University dorm room. But the next time she appears in court, Wei is expected to talk — a lot. A judge in New Brunswick granted Wei’s...
MIDDLESEX COUNTY — Molly Wei said little Friday during her first court appearance on charges she used a webcam to spy on classmate Tyler Clementi in an intimate same-sex encounter in his Rutgers University dorm room.
But the next time she appears in court, Wei is expected to talk — a lot.
A judge in New Brunswick granted Wei’s request for admittance into a pretrial probationary program that could lead to dismissal of all charges against her in the high-profile case. The 19-year-old West Windsor resident agreed to get counseling and do 300 hours of community service.
The deal has one other major requirement: Wei must "testify truthfully" in court proceedings against Dharun Ravi, the other student accused of spying on Clementi days before the freshman committed suicide last September.
Ravi, who is due to make his first court appearance May 23, faces more serious charges. He was indicted on 15 counts for allegedly using Wei’s laptop to remotely activate the camera in the room he shared with Clementi on Rutgers’ Piscataway campus. Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the charges, which include bias intimidation for allegedly targeting Clementi because he was gay.
After Wei’s court hearing, Ravi’s attorney said he welcomes her testimony in any possible trial.
"I think it’s positive that she’ll testify," said the lawyer, Steve Altman. "Her testimony will reveal that whatever occurred was not motivated by any bias. Her testimony will support that. I’m looking forward to what she has to say because I think it will exonerate him."
Clementi’s suicide has drawn national attention as an example of cyberbullying and the mistreatment of gay students on college campuses. Though it is unclear exactly why the promising violinist from Ridgewood killed himself, the 18-year-old jumped off the George Washington Bridge a few days after learning his roommate and Wei had watched him on the webcam.
Attorneys for Wei and Ravi have said the pair only watched Clementi and his unnamed date briefly hugging and kissing and no sexual encounter was viewed. The images were not recorded or broadcast to other computers, the attorneys said.
However, Ravi is accused of trying to use the webcam to catch Clementi in a second private encounter with the same man, who is identified in court papers as M.B. That attempt failed, though Ravi allegedly used Twitter to alert friends where to log on to watch the live video stream.
Friday, Clementi’s parents made a rare public statement after watching Wei’s appearance from the back row of the courtroom. Jane and Joe Clementi said they attended the hearing on behalf of their late son and people around the world following the case.
"Actions have consequences," Joe Clementi read from a prepared statement. "We wish that Ms. Wei will become a person who will make better decisions, will help people and show kindness to those she comes in contact with."
The Clementis said prosecutors asked if they would object to Wei entering the pre-trial intervention program, known as PTI. The family consented because Wei had cooperated with the investigation and her actions were "substantially different in their nature and their extent than the actions of Tyler’s former roommate," Joe Clementi said.
The diminutive Wei, dressed in a dark suit, stood between her attorneys at the 10-minute hearing. She spoke only to answer questions put to her by her attorney, Rubin Sinins. In addition to performing community service, Wei agreed to complete counseling for cyberbullying and understanding alternate life styles and maintain either full- or part-time employment.
If she completes the three-year program, two counts of invasion of privacy against her will be dismissed, the prosecutor said. If not, Wei could face a trial and up to three years in jail.
Wei and Ravi withdrew from Rutgers shortly after their arrests. Wei’s attorney declined to say what she has been doing since she left Rutgers.
"We’d like to begin the process of giving her her reputation back," Sinins said. "Molly Wei is not a bully."
Wei’s involvement in the alleged cyberbullying of Clementi was minimal, her attorneys said.
"Molly was unfortunately brought into this," said Eric Kaan, Sinins’ legal partner. "Molly Wei should not be a poster child for this."
By Sue Epstein and Kelly Heyboer/The Star Ledger