Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. She also extended an apology to the victim, whose name was withheld. As one of the men said, referencing the work of famed public interest lawyer and equal justice activist Bryan Stevenson, Would you want to be known for the worst thing you ever did, for the rest of your life?. EfM taught me how to open the box, and also how to be diplomatic., He says, EfM was a vessel. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. Exculpatory post-conviction evidence was shared with the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), which, under District Attorney Larry Krasner and Patricia Cummings, moved to vacate Mr. Hicks conviction yesterday based on the officers false trial testimony. I dont know how you feel about having a white woman. One of the inmates replied, Miss Ginny, everybody needs a mama! For the first couple of years, she was known as Mama Ginny. It appears that for years and even decades the Philadelphia criminal justice system has shown a pattern of locking up Black men for crimes they didnt commit based on the work of corrupt police officers and conviction-happy courts that never really consider that a Black defendant might be getting railroaded despite a glaring lack of evidence to support their guilt. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was exonerated A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers. But, she added, I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. In 2016, the city paid $15,000 to settle a civil-rights lawsuit naming Vinson as one of two officers who dragged a taxi driver falsely accused of stealing a cell phone out of his cab, assaulted him, and told him if he did not like it, he could go back to his country., The Police Advisory Commissions executive director, Anthony Erace, said he was not familiar with Hicks case but would seek a review. Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. WebTermaine Hicks was exonerated in December after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police officers lied under oath to cover up shooting Mr. Hickswho was innocent of any crimein the back three times. Joe Rojas, the southeast regional vice president for the workers union, AFGE Council of Prisons, said the case was a black eye for an otherwise hardworking and upright staff. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. Wednesday, December 23, 2020, The Front Page Podcast: Pumping the Brakes, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. I was writing Christian plays, engaged in independent study, and searching Scripture. In 2001, Mr. Hicks came to the aid of a woman screaming in an alley. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. They shot him three times in the back. I found what was already there. He created an organization called S.T.E.P.U.P., an acronym for Selfless Thinking Expresses Potential that Uplifts People, and began writing educational scripts that were later turned into films. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. His brother and friend greeted him upon release. Although most of the evidence analyzed in the recent review of the case was available at the time of Hickss original trial, the jury never saw an enhanced security tape that corroborated parts of Hickss story. This is my ministry, he says. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. There was no evidence linking Hollman to the shooting and the two witnesses who identified him later recanted and said they were coerced by police to give their false testimonies. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philad Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks pulled a gun from his pocket, pointed it and lunged at officers before they shot him. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. On December 16, 2020, Termaine Hicks received what he calls the best news Ive heard in all my life. Hicks learned that, after 19 years in prison for crimes he did not commit, he was finally going home. The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. Realizing Mr. Hicks did not match the description of the attacker provided by a neighbor to 911 and that he was unarmed, the officers embarked on a cover-up, which included: Based on the officers testimony, Mr. Hicks was convicted of rape, aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime, and terroristic threats. She would always say, Ive got some good news and some not-so-good news. The good news was that he still had a chance, and the not-so-good news was another continuance60 days, 90 days, 180 days. Step up to it!. Why are prominent Los Angeles Latinos saying such racist things? I am quite cognizant of the pain and the trauma of the victim, and then more pain in realizing that the wrong person was convicted, Brandeis-Roman said. Recent forensic examinations by the chief medical examiner for the City of Philadelphia and an independent medical examiner conclusively prove that the officer shot Mr. Hicks three times in the back with one bullet entering near his spine, one in his buttock, and one in the back of his right arm. According to lawyers, it shows a man in a hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. I chose life, because my Father God allowed me to live and continue to grow., Candler School of Theology, Emory University, New CDSP Continuing Ed Courses Include Liberation Theology, New Testament Greek, Emory Universitys Candler School of Theology to Launch Hybrid MDiv in Fall 2023, Trinity Church Wall Street Announces Final Round of 2022 Grants, Bringing the Total to $57 Million, Bexley Seabury Hires Hailey McKeefry Delmas as Director of Deacons Formation Collaborative, Seabury Resources for Aging Introduces Common Threads: An Intergenerational Worship Series, Birds of the Air with the Rev. There was irrefutable evidence that Chester was innocent, is innocent and has always been innocent and would never have been wrongfully convicted aside from extraordinary police misconduct, Green said. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that does not compensate exonerees. A woman had been pistol-whipped, dragged into an alleyway behind what was then St. Agnes Hospital in South Philadelphia, and raped until the rapist was startled and fled the scene. Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. But there was no gray hoodie among Hickss clothes that were turned over to police after he was treated for gunshot wounds in the hospital. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. But that defendant was acquitted at a re-trial when the defense presented evidence that Officer Ellis planted ballistics and falsely attributed guns to the accused that he did not in fact possess.. God saw fit to keep me alive. The gun police said they found on Hicks was registered to another Philadelphia police officer, who had not reported it stolen or missing, according to court records. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. Going back to the morning of the crime, the victim was not able to identify her assailant. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. The Philadelphia police did not immediately return a request for comment on the case, but Anthony Erace, the executive director of the Police Advisory Commission, told the Inquirer he would seek a review of the investigation. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. She began taking medication to try to help. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. California residents do not sell my data request. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to produce and promote the videos, which are now being requested in schools around the nation. Mr. When you have a circumstance where at a minimum misconduct is discovered, and at a maximum potential criminal behavior is possible, its got to be examined.. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. There are no words to express what was taken from me, Hollman said in a statement after the settlement was announced. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. We need a whole new system.. Falsely claiming under oath that they recovered a gun from Mr. Hicks right jacket pocket, which they asserted he placed back in his pocket after he was shot. He was exonerated after 19 years. The city has settled civil-rights complaints naming Vinson and Ellis as defendants. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. His attorneys celebrated the exoneration Wednesday, noting that Hicks, who was the father of a 5-year-old boy when he was incarcerated, would be able to meet his 2-year-old grandson for the first time. Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the criminal legal system. And the gun the officers alleged to have found in his pocket was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia police officer. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. Had these records been publicly available, Mr. Hicks may not have had to endure so many years of injustice or been wrongly convicted at all, she said. Three Philadelphia police officers have been reassigned pending an internal investigation into the arrest of Termaine Joseph Hicks, who was cleared of a 2001 rape last week after spending 19 years in prison. The day of the incident, detectives viewed surveillance footage which confirmed the assailant was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, which should have excluded Mr. Hicks as a suspect. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. Then, Hicks lawyers say, Vinson used his police radio to contact dispatch. There were weeks we never once left our cells. Now, Potkin said, hes focused on returning to society, building on his relationship with his son, now 24, and meeting a 2-year-old grandson for the first time. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. 2023 Innocence Project. Hicks survived, but was charged with the rape and sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. The new analysis outlined a case in which ample physical evidence available 19 years ago ought to have been enough to clear Hicks, who was known in court records as Jermaine Weeks. Police Officer Martin Vinson said he shot Hicks in the chest or stomach as Hicks was pulling a gun from his pocket and lunging toward him. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. He is going to be returned to something that he should have had on November 27, when police encountered him, but he didnt, Potkin said, the Inquirer reported. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. Vinson and Zungolo still work for the Philadelphia police, the Inquirer reported. Both Gillum and Lettman-Hicks were indicted as part of the FBI's long-running investigation into public corruption in Tallahassee. The investigation already netted convictions and federal prison time for former Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox, his longtime aide Paige Carter-Smith and wealthy entrepreneur John "J.T." Burnette. He was arraigned while handcuffed to a hospital bed. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police shot Mr. Hicks as he was helping a victim. Termaine Joseph Hicks was freed from prison in Philadelphia on Wednesday after serving 19 of 25 years on a trumped up conviction Hicks, now 45, was jailed in 2001 after Philadelphia cops Marvin Vinson and Sgt. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. When he was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years, he told the judge: An innocent man cant sit in jail for long. But at parole hearings, according to his lawyers, he was penalized for refusing to accept responsibility for the crime. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. And he was unarmed. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. They greeted me with such unexpected affection. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. He says EfM provided him with a firm foundation so that, like John the Baptist, he would not be a reed shaken by every wind. Why dont they? Lauren Reynolds received $600,000 for her settlement - but she said it wasnt about the money. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. Slichter invited the Rt. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. Today Hicks serves alongside Slichter on the board for the Dennis H. Warner Memorial Foundation, which provides EfM scholarships for inmates and assists family members of the incarcerated. Making it easier for Black people to vote had unexpected consequences, Latinos who use Spanish-language social media get more misinformation, How public colleges have already backed away from affirmative action. I am quite cognizant of the pain and the trauma of the victim, and then more pain in realizing that the wrong person was convicted, Brandeis-Roman said Wednesday, the Inquirer reported. I signed on to start the next year.. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Offices Conviction Integrity Unit sided with Hicks and his lawyers, and Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated his conviction on Wednesday. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. He was exonerated after 19 years. Thank you for visiting us. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. 2023 Innocence Project. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. Hickss case began in the early-morning hours of Nov. 27, 2001, according to a memorandum summarizing the case, as a woman walked to an early shift at Dunkin Donuts. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Nightly Films Termaine Hicks speaks out after 19 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit (Part 1) In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. The women feared that if they came forward theyd be sent to another federal facility far from their families, interrupting the education and work programs they had at Coleman, which is the largest federal prison in the U.S. Settlements were approved by the Attorney Generals office on Monday. On Wednesday, after 19 years incarceration, Hicks, 45, was, at last, exonerated. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. Had these records been publicly available, Mr. Hicks may not have had to endure so many years of injustice or been wrongly convicted at all, she said. Read Mr Hicks Motion to Vacate, the Commonwealths response and the Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. Even the most seasoned attorney does not likely get the opportunity to go before them, says Hicks, who was by this time arguing his own case pro se. on our list, Other Many will have a tale of transformation to share. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Inmates were sick, some were dying. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. He purchased land and other AA's settled near him. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police Perjury Led To Wrongful Conviction. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. The officers involved in this case had extensive internal affairs files with numerous allegations of lying, planting evidence, excessive force, and substantiated complaints filed by civilians. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Three Philadelphia police officers have been reassigned pending an internal investigation into the arrest and shooting of Termaine Hicks, who was cleared of a 2001 rape last week after spending 19 years in prison. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. 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