Defendant in Tyler Clementi Suicide Case Appears in Court

More than 10 months have passed since Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University, committed suicide after two classmates live-streamed an intimate encounter between him and another man. On Tuesday, attorneys for one of the undergraduates behind the online broadcast argued that no criminal bullying had occurred and requested evidence of Clementi's mental state prior to his death.

Reuters reports that Dharun Ravi, 19, is charged with 15 criminal counts that include bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, and evidence tampering. His attorney, Steven Altman, denies any intimidation perpetrated by his client. "Nor was there any bullying intended or bias intended," he said.

Altman is seeking the identity of the other man in the video, as well as files from Clementi's computer and a note found after he had jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge last September.

Ravi's accomplice in the incident, Molly Wei, 19, has agreed to testify against Ravi as part of a plea deal that includes 300 hours of community service and diversity classes.

Ravi did not speak during the hearing; Clementi's parents were in the courtroom but declined to speak to the media following the proceedings.

Ravi is due back in court on September 9.

Read the report here.