Candidate for
Judge; Pennsylvania Superior Court

Judge Teresa Sarmina has served as a Judge in Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas since 1998. In 2003 she was assigned to the elite Homicide Program, where Judge Sarmina has presided over more than 100 homicide trials. Judge Sarmina is presently serving her second 10-year termon the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, having been retained by the voters in November 2008. Before her election in 1997, Judge Sarmina began her career as a law clerk to Judge Nelson A. Diaz of the Court of Common Pleas. She was then hired by District Attorney (now Governor) Edward G. Rendell as a prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney'sOffice, whereshe served for 5 years. In 1993 Judge Sarmina was recruited to work in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. While in the AG's office, she supervised the Region IX Drug Task Force for 4 years. She was promoted to run the AG's Medicaid Fraud Control Section in Norristown, and then moved to the Public Protection Division for 2 years. Judge Sarmina received her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to going to law school, she earned a Masters degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago, and worked at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She earned a Bachelor degree from St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana. In 2009 Judge Sarmina was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners. Judge Sarmina has long been active in community service. She is currently participating in the "Advancing Civics Education" (A.C.E.) program (jointly sponsored by the Bar Association and the courts), and is assigned to the Paul Robeson High School in Philadelphia. She previously participated in the Philadelphia Reads Program. She presently serves as a Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and is a member of a diverse number of organizations. Judge Sarmina is happily married to Mark Tratenberg, and is the proud grandmother of 4 beautiful grandchildren.