October 31, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Conference Thursday November 1 1:00pm

Outside Phila Municipal Court, 1301 Filbert St (Criminal Justice Center), Philadelphia
Contact: Mary Kalyna, Global Women's Strike 215-776-1004

Groups Demand that Judge Teresa Carr Deni Must Go –

Say "All Women Deserve Protection from Rape"

A broad range of organizations are calling for Philadelphia Municipal Judge Teresa Carr Deni to be removed from office following her decision to drop rape and assault charges in the case of a 20-year-old African-American woman gang-raped at gunpoint by four men. Because the woman was working as a prostitute, Deni decided that she could not have been raped and changed the charge to "theft of services."

A press conference will be held on Thursday Nov 1 at 1pm outside Municipal Court (info above), with groups who are working to unseat Deni bringing placards, leaflets and banners urging people to vote "No" on Deni in the Judicial Retention vote on November 6.

Judge Deni told the Philadelphia Daily News that this case "minimizes true rape cases and demeans women who are really raped," a statement that shocked many. Deni further claimed that the victim met another client before reporting the rape, but the transcript of the hearing shows this to be untrue. "For a judge to make a false accusation against a victim in the press, in addition to her prejudiced and reckless contempt for women's safety, confirms that she is unfit to serve," according to a letter signed by the Global Women's Strike and by seven other organizations (full text follows).

Groups and individuals who will make statements at the press conference include Global Women's Strike, "Deny Deni!", Philadelphia NOW, Project Safe , US PROStitutes Collective, Carol Jenkins (27th Democratic Ward Leader), Women of Color in the Global Women's Strike, CAConrad (Committee for Erika Keels), and Aishah Simmons (filmmaker, "NO!"), among others still to be confirmed.

The grassroots movement to unseat Deni has mushroomed since the story broke on October 12. Democratic Committees in the 9th and 27th Wards are recommending a "No" vote on her retention. The Philadelphia Bar Association has issued a harsh criticism and received a flood of email. AFSCME District Council 47 has voted to recommend a No vote to its members. Letters of complaint have been sent to the Hon. Louis J. Presenza, President Judge of the Municipal Court of Philadelphia. News has spread quickly online via blogs, websites and email, with comments coming from as far away as Australia.

The victim in this case was a Black single mother with a young child. In Philadelphia, one in four people lives in poverty and welfare benefits for mothers have been almost eliminated, forcing many women into prostitution for economic survival. Women's groups say this should not make them fair game for rapists, and that decision's like Deni's give the green light for further attacks.

The Women's Death Review Taskforce found that many women who died violent deaths in Philadelphia were sex workers. Earlier this year Erika Keels, a transgendered prostitute was killed in what eyewitnesses say was a brutal murder, which the police called an "accident".

The District Attorney's office is pursuing the original rape charges, with a reconsideration hearing to take place on November 16, according to Assistant DA Richard DeSipio. The groups are encouraging the public to make their voices heard in the November 6 election. Should Deni survive the retention vote, however, there is also the possibility of administrative action to remove her.

Recent coverage in the Phila Daily News and Inquirer:

Phila. Bar slams judge in rape case (Inquirer, Oct 31)

Phila. Bar rips judge who nixed rape of hooker (Daily News, Oct 31)

Move afoot to unseat judge in rape ruling (Daily News, Oct 24)

Hooker raped and robbed - by justice system? (Daily News, Oct 12)