Teresa Carr Deni

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Teresa Carr Deni is a municipal court judge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania notable for dismissing charges of sexual assault against a man alleged to have raped a prostitute at gunpoint. She was originally elected in 1995.[1]

Deni served on the Board of Revision of Tax, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, and as the city Solicitor.[1] She won a retention vote on November 6, 2007, and will serve a 6 year term.[2][3]

[edit] Controversy

A 20 year-old prostitute alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Gindraw and at least 4 other men. She claimed that she agreed to have protected sex with Gindraw for $150 after contacting him through Craigslist.

Upon meeting him, she alleged that he asked her to also have protected sex with his friend for an additional $100. She reported that when the other man arrived, he threatened her with a gun and demanded that she have unprotected sex with at least 3 additional men. [4]

After filing a police report, 4 men were arrested and charged with rape and assault. Deni dismissed all of the sex and assault charges and instead charged them with armed robbery and theft of services. She justified her decision by stating:

“She consented and she didn’t get paid . . . I thought it was a robbery.” And that a case like this "minimizes true rape cases and demeans women who are really raped."

The same defendant was charged with a similar crime 4 days later. However, assistant district attorney Rich DeSipio refused to present the case before Judge Deni owing to her earlier ruling, arguing that "I wouldn't demean her [the victim] that way."[4] Judge Deni threw out the second case for failure to prosecute.

DeSipio has vowed to appeal both rulings.

On October 12, 2007 Deni filed a complaint about DeSipio with the state disciplinary committee. She claimed that it was improper for him to initiate press coverage of the case. Both DeSipio and the reporter he spoke with, Jill Porter, claim that Porter was the one who initiated contact about the case. [5]

The Philadelphia Bar Association subsequently denounced Deni for her, "unforgivable miscarriage of justice" and "clear disregard of the legal definition of rape and the rule of law." [6] [7]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b PA Cleansweep
  2. ^ "2007 Municipal Election, Tuesday, November 06, 2007, Judge of the Municipal Court: Judicial Retention, 1st Judicial District (Philadelphia County)", Pennsylvania Department of State: Elections Infornation (website). Accessed November 7, 2007.
  3. ^ Jill Porter. "'Hooker Judge' is not denied... but justice is", Philadelphia Daily News, November 7, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Jill Porter. "Hooker raped and robbed - by justice system?", Philadelphia Daily News, 2007-10-12. 
  5. ^ Jill Porter. "Move afoot to unseat judge in rape ruling", Philadelphia Daily News, 2007-10-24. 
  6. ^ Jane Dalton (2007-10-30). Association Chancellor Jane Dalton Issues Statement on Judge Deni's Recent Ruling. Philadelphia Bar Association (website).
  7. ^ Jill Porter. "Phila. Bar rips judge who nixed rape of hooker", Philadelphia Daily News, 2007-10-31. 

[edit] See also