Tag Archives: New Jersey

You can expect this a wingnut meltdown over this. An Air Force airman and his partner have been united in a civil union ceremony held at the military base where the airman is stationed. Dozens of friends and family members attended Saturday afternoon’s ceremony for Tech. Sgt. Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens. It was presided over by Kay Reeb, a …

Ten days early, Dharun Ravi walked out of a New Jersey jail today after meeting good behavior stipulations of his sentence. Wearing a dark blue shirt and khaki pants and sporting a beard, Ravi, 20, of Plainsboro walked out of the building with defense attorney Steven Altman’s arm around his shoulder, flanked by Altman’s son and fellow attorney Joshua Altman. …

Dharun Ravi is expected to granted an early release from jail this week. Dharun Ravi, 20, will likely be released from the Middlesex County Jail after serving just 20 days of a 30-day sentence, warden Edmond Cicchi said. Ravi used a webcam to stream video of his roommate, Tyler Clementi, kissing another man inside their dorm room in September 2010. …

Dharun Ravi’s legal team has filed a notice of their intent to appeal his conviction. The notice lists the proposed issues to be raised on appeal, including that the bias intimidation statute is unconstitutional as applied to Ravi and that several decisions by Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman, who presided over the trial earlier this year, “prejudiced the defendant’s ability …

New Jersey gay man Joao Simoes is suing his hospital after an on-staff doctor refused him his HIV medications. Dr. Susan Borga* allegedly later told his private physician what the patient had done to become infected was “against God’s will.” When the hospital finally permitted Simoes to call his personal physician on the third day of his stay, he learned …

Calling it nothing more than a PR stunt, the parents of Tyler Clementi have refused to accept the apology offered Wednesday by Dharun Ravi. In their first public comments on the sentencing, the Clementis issued a statement in which they rejected Mr. Ravi’s apology as insincere. “As to the so-called ‘apology,’ it was, of course, no apology at all, but …

“I accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices that I made on Sept. 19, 2010, and Sept. 21, 2010. My behavior and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone, were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions. I apologize to everyone affected by …

You may recall that last fall New Jersey public school teacher Vicki Knox was so upset by a pro-gay bulletin board at her school, she took to Facebook to launch a tirade calling gays “perverted spirits” whose sin “breeds like cancer.” Knox was then suspended for conduct unbecoming a public servant, leading local anti-gay groups to protest the school board …

Noting his lack of a prior arrest record and the unlikeness that he will re-offend, today a New Jersey judged sentenced former Rutgers student Drarun Ravi to only 30 days in jail and probation in the case of the suicide of his gay roommate Tyler Clementi. More on the sentencing will follow shortly in this post. UPDATE: The probation period …

The New York Times reports that a number of gay activists are arguing for leniency in the case of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers student who will be sentenced today for spying on his gay roommate Tyler Clementi, who leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge after Ravi live-streamed his encounter with another man. In an op-ed article …

It’s actually pretty good. “BOOKER!” Made for the New Jersey Press Association Legislative Correspondents Club Show.

Texting while walking is now a ticketing offense in Fort Lee, New Jersey. “It’s a big distraction. Pedestrians aren’t watching where they are going and they are not aware,” said Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department. Ripoli said the borough, which is home to approximately 35,000 residents, has suffered three fatal pedestrian-involved accidents this year. He hopes …

Not only is Newark Mayor Cory Booker an outspoken ally in the battle for LGBT equality, he’s now being hailed as a firefighting hero. Booker arrived home last night to discover his next-door neighbor’s house on fire, and rescued a young woman trapped upstairs by carrying her through the flames, suffering second-degree burns in the process. The mayor’s security team …

From the New Jersey Star-Ledger: The NOM agenda reveals the dark corners of a movement that will do anything to impose its will. To stop state courts or legislators from enacting marriage equality laws and to roll back the laws where they do exist, the organization established a plan that seeks to divide and conquer. And kick up a lot …

A New Jersey jury has found Dharun Ravi guilty of invasion of privacy for live-streaming the sexual encounter of his Rutgers roommate, Tyler Clementi, who later leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Ravi was also found guilty of several counts of tampering with evidence, witness tampering, and hindering prosecution. It appears that the jury also found Ravi …

“I do not believe this Field Poll of 59% of California regular voters support same-sex marriage. That just flies in the face of the two real polls, two elections — one to change the laws in California, the other one to change the state Constitution. The California voters want marriage to be one man, one woman — period. In spite …

(Via – Think Progress)

One day after a California poll showed a huge leap in public support for same-sex marriage, we get similar news out of New Jersey. Most New Jerseyans support gay marriage, but they also believe the issue should be put to a referendum, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. The poll showed backing for same-sex marriage in the Garden …