Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. 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. Vinson told the court he saw Hicks attacking the woman and saw him reach for a gun. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. My motto was, Im not going to ask you to do something I would not do. Why are prominent Los Angeles Latinos saying such racist things? At the same time, my thoughts and prayers are with the countless others who are not coming home today or ever because of an impulsive, ill-prepared, and apprehensive cop. After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. On a November morning in 2001, Hicks had just walked his little brother, Tyron, to the bus stop in their south Philadelphia neighborhood, when he was called to be a real-life Good Samaritan. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. There are no words to express what was taken from me, Hollman said in a statement after the settlement was announced. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, One was a 2015 lawsuit alleging that Vinson and another officer had dragged a taxi driver falsely accused of stealing a cell phone out of his cab and assaulted him. In addition to the Innocence Project, Mr. Hicks is represented by local counsel Susan Lin of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is He said: I tried to get the male to, uh, you know, put his hands where I could see them, and he was reaching for something and I couldnt see it.. I feel 100 pounds lighter, he told the Inquirer. He said he was meeting with McGrody, who could answer any further questions. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. information about the Registry, Assault, Other Violent Felony, Gun Possession or Sale, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. But this settlement closes out a difficult chapter in my life as my family and I now embark on a new one.. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. Then, he said he shot Hicks in the chest or stomach. She was badly beaten, so he reached for his cell phone to call 911. During that time, in the fall of 2008, Hicks joined the EfM group. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. WebThe Innocence Project and Philadelphia DAs Conviction Integrity Unit found evidence police lied to cover up the shooting of Termaine Joseph Hicks, a bystander who rushed to help Termaine Joseph Hicks, 45, was freed from prison in Philadelphia on Wednesday He was jailed in 2001 after cops Marvin Vinson and Dennis Zungolo testified against him In fact, he'd run to the woman's aid when he heard her screaming and the real rapist ran away Baden testified that all shots were fired from behind Hicks, so he could not have been lunging at the officer who pulled the trigger. 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. The Inquirer reported that Hickss lawyer, Vanessa Potkin, said the gun was covered with blood, but the coat pocket, where Vinson claimed Hicks had been keeping the gun, was clean. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. On Wednesday, Termaine Hicks received the the best Ive heard in all my life. After 19 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Mr. Hicks was going home. During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. He had his hand in his pocket because he was going to attempt to call the police when they arrived and shot him in the back. Lettman-Hicks filed to run for the District 8 seat on June 1, just days before a federal grand jury indicted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. His payout is just $50,000 short of the record for settlements of its kind in the city a distinction held by the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright, a man who served nearly 25 years of a sentence for a 1991 rape and murder that DNA evidence proved decades later he did not commit. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. 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. A neighbor who witnessed the woman being dragged by the assailant from the sidewalk to the alley and called police in real-time, reported that the attacker was wearing a gray hoodie covering his head. 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. As a result of receiving this information, we have opened an Internal Affairs investigation into the allegations of police misconduct, the spokesperson said in an email. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. She tried to get gas. Though EfM groups commonly gather in parish buildings, some convene in prisons. into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to produce and promote the videos, which are now being requested in schools around the nation. 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.. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. Prayer, revival and Jesus Revolution: Is our rotting culture on the verge of something big? after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. In 2001, a police officer shot the 26-year-old Popeyes manager, later telling a court that Hicks reached for a gun after the officer found him raping a woman in a Philadelphia alleyway. IE 11 is not supported. The trial judge retired and was replaced by another judge, which really set the ball in motion, explains Hicks. And the gun the officers alleged to have found in his pocket was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia police officer. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. Group showed footage of fatal Breonna Taylor raid at restaurant event, dine BLM co-founders cousin dies after police repeatedly use Taser, video shows, Bidens marijuana policy may change attitudes toward immigrants. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. Web7.9K views, 321 likes, 112 loves, 25 comments, 220 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Innocence Project: Termaine Hicks wrote 12 plays and countless poems during his 19 years of wrongful Termaine Hicks - Just Another Day | Termaine Hicks wrote 12 plays and countless poems during his 19 years of wrongful incarceration. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. 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. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. During his time in prison he joined the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, wrote plays, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P. His attorney Amelia Green said the evidence supporting Hollmans innocence which garnered media attention first in the form of a 2017 report in The Inquirer and, in April, an episode of the Netflix series The Innocence Files put pressure on city officials to resolve the case swiftly, though neither they nor police admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement deal. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 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. We need a whole new system.. 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. Joseph Tremaine Hicks, his lawyer said, is going to be returned to something that he should have had when police encountered him the presumption of innocence.. Earlier this month, The Root reported that another Black man, 45-year-old Termaine Hicks was exonerated of rape after spending 19 years in a Philadelphia prison. Someone grabbed her, dragged her into an alley and raped her at gunpoint. I cant imagine the hurt in your heart and the million reasons you would have to hate someone but instead you are just happy and thankful. The conviction was vacated, and the charge dismissed. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. Happy Holidays Termaine! Hearing a scream pierce the darkness, he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital. Hicks is the 16th person exonerated by the Conviction Integrity Unit since District Attorney Larry Krasner took office in 2018, and the first to be cleared of a rape. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. 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. Only Jesus can do this.you are blessed. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. He saw two men running away from a figure on the ground near a dumpster. 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. [Sewanee School of Theology] It is well known in The Episcopal Church and beyond: Education for Ministry (EfM) changes lives. California residents do not sell my data request. Again, no gray hoodie was found. But unlike in Wrights case, which was settled on the eve of a civil trial, the agreement in Hollmans case came before he had even filed suit. Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated the conviction and offered a bittersweet congratulations to Hicks. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. 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. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. Please enable scripts and reload this page. He was exonerated after 19 years. However, the court filings detail the role of Officer Robert Ellis, who testified at trial that he had recovered a .38-caliber Taurus from Hicks right jacket pocket. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. And he was unarmed. Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. Obviously, the worst part of these false convictions is that Black people are having enormous chunks of their lives stolen from them all because America is racist and its justice system reflects that, but the convictions are also a burden on taxpayers who end up footing the bill for settlements because they live in cities where law enforcement cares more about forcing guilty verdicts than they do about actually solving crimes. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. He was exonerated 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. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was not the right person. 21, 2020. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. on our list, Other
The Philadelphia District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit agreed with Hicks and his lawyers, civil-rights attorney Susan Lin, and the Innocence Project, that the case was built on lies possibly to cover up the unjustified shooting that were contradicted by newly analyzed and compelling forensic evidence. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. The 45-year-old was exonerated on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported, after a new analysis suggested the conviction was based on false testimony and questionable evidence possibly in an attempt to justify a botched police shooting. 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. Step up to it!. His brother and friend greeted him upon release. She said she wanted to hold the Bureau of Prisons accountable for the abuse she and others experienced. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. But no officers were prosecuted. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police Finally home, Mr. Hicks said hes most proud of himself for staying strong and remaining determined to prove his innocence. One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. 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. It was brutal for the guys in the penitentiary. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. According to lawyers, it shows a man in a hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. Reached by phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment or to confirm he was under investigation. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. A judge ordered him released last year at age 49, citing evidence that police and prosecutors built their case on fabricated statements from people they coerced as witnesses and later withheld evidence pointing to the likely true perpetrators of the crime. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. WebSettlement Agreement. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, took on Mr. Hicks case in 2011. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. What she remembered was that after bright lights appeared, the assault stopped. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. There were moments, but I did not give up, he said. An officerwho along with his complicit partner is still currently on the forcefirst shot Hicks three times while he was pulling out a cell phone to call for help for the rape victim. WebTermaine Hicks is an exoneree and IP client. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Both sides said it did not follow that the gun was smeared in blood, while the interior of the pocket it supposedly came from was pristine. He was exonerated after 19 years. But in recent years, evidence has piled up to suggest that the case presented by police and prosecutors was riddled with errors, the Inquirer reported. Mr. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. Cummings said Philadelphia prosecutors would not attempt to retry the tainted case. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. WebTermaine Hicks was exonerated on December 16, 2020 after 19 years of wrongful incarceration. Philadelphia officials said Wednesday that the city will be paying out $9.8 million in one of the largest wrongful-conviction settlements in the citys history to a Black man who spent 28 years in prison for a murder the district attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit now says it was near impossible that he committed. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. The man they had just shot did not match the description of the attacker provided by a witness, who saw the assailant dragging the victim into an alley. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. A jury believed the polices version of events over Hickss story. The lawsuit contended that Bureau of Prisons officers at Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Sumter County sexually abused female inmates for years and threatened the women if they didnt comply. 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. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. 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. A jury later convicted Hicks of rape, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. As he was reaching for his cellphone to dial 911, the police suddenly arrived, shot him in the back and charged him unjustly. Then, Hicks lawyers say, Vinson used his police radio to contact dispatch. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. I was writing Christian plays, engaged in independent study, and searching Scripture. 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. He served 19 years for a wrongful conviction. After the 5th Circuits ruling, does DACA have a future? Surveillance tape from that night could reconcile her account with Hicks. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers. He said Hicks had pulled a gun on police, but put it back in his pocket after being shot three times. It was in such a group at the State Correctional InstitutionGraterford, a maximum-security prison in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, that EfM group leader Ginny Slichter met Termaine Hicks for the first time. He was exonerated in 2020. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police officers lied under oath to cover up shooting Hickswho was innocent of any crimein the back three times. Rev. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. 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. Hicks had been exonerated. The Best News Ive Heard in All My Li After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. Bryan Busch, who represented 11 women, and Phil Reizenstein, who represents one woman, said they did not want to comment on the settlement amounts until funds were released. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. | Editorial, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation, St. Pete womans dream home turns into a nightmare after she finds code violation, DeSantis, GOP lawmakers pursue efforts to weaken news media protections, Florida man paralyzed by officer who mistook gun for Taser sues, Explosive found on Florida-bound Allegiant flight, man arrested, States move to crack down on nurses with bogus diplomas from Florida schools, correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them, Florida teen charged as adult in rigged homecoming election. The gun was also registered to an active-duty police officer who had not reported it missing. Ellis arrived with his then-partner, Duane Watson who is currently facing perjury charges after his testimony in a narcotics arrest was contradicted by surveillance video. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name.. To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. Wanting to reach young people before fateful decisions are made, he began to produce videos on gun violence and bullying. Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the criminal legal system. Now theyve reached a settlement, Pinellas lawyer arrested after stealing more than $840,000 from clients, deputies say, Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for 2 Tampa murders, How about spending more on preventing crime? It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. 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. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. This is my ministry, he says. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. Philadelphia officials said Wednesday that the city will be paying out $9.8 million in one of the largest wrongful-conviction settlements in the citys history to a Black man who spent 28 years in prison for a murder the district attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit now says it was near impossible that he committed. During the trial a year later, the medical examiner would say he could not determine the direction from which the bullets that struck Hicks were fired. I signed on to start the next year.. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. Tell
We were all mourning. He has always maintained that he arrived at the scene when he attempted to help the victim, she said. Mr. Hicks, an Innocence Project client, was wrongly convicted of a rape that took place in Philadelphia in 2001. In a first, House Democrats elected a Black leader. Website by MADEO. Sometimes it comes out in the spiritual autobiography, but we dont ask. His brothers Tone Hicks and Tyron McClendon greeted him upon release. WebHicks Settlement Settled by Tobias Hicks and sons about 1800. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. He was exonerated Hicks tried to appeal his conviction, court records show, claiming that his former defense attorney had erred by not insisting that police show the enhanced surveillance footage. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. 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. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday afternoon. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. Hicks survived, but was charged with the rape and sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison.