Terri Maurer-Carter
Declaration of Terri Maurer-Carter, court reporter who heard the original trial judge, Judge Sabo, make racist comments regarding Mumia and his trial, including “Yeah, and I’m going to help them fry the nigger.”
I, Terri Maurer-Carter declare:
From approximately February 1982 through September 1986 and in 1998 I was employed as an official court stenographer in the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Philadelphia, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania.
In April 1997 I first became a Registered Professional Reporter. Thereafter I obtained a Certificate of Merit. In approximately 1978 I became a Federally Certified Court Reporter. I have “grand jury clearance.” I have received Awards of Excellence from the States of Virginia and Maryland.
In 1982, a few months after I started working at the Court of Common Pleas, I was sent to a courtroom different than that I usually worked in because the judge I was assigned to was going to be doing “VOP” (Violation of Probation) and post-verdict motion hearings there that day. I went through the anteroom on my way to that courtroom where Judge Sabo and another person were engaged in conversation.
Judge Sabo was discussing the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. During the course of that conversation, I heard Judge Sabo say, “Yeah, and I’m going to help them fry the nigger.” There were three people present when Judge Sabo made that remark, including myself.
The foregoing is stated subject to the penalties of 18 Pa. C.S. Section 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities and is executed by me on August 21, 2001 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Terri Maurer-Carter
