the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. Website by MADEO. Gutirrez, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other visitors from outside the prison to the performance. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. Dennis Zungolo. 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. 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. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. on our list, Other 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.. 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. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. Immediately, Hicks appealed. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. [Sewanee School of Theology] It is well known in The Episcopal Church and beyond: Education for Ministry (EfM) changes lives. The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. She assumed the lights were police flashlights, but the enhanced footage suggested the light had instead been the delivery trucks headlights. Hicks lawyers allege that the cover-up went well beyond the three officers. The woman had EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. 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. Only Jesus can do this.you are blessed. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. I survived, he says, and I understood the gravity of the situation right away. Officer Martin Vinson claimed to have witnessed Hicks raping the victim. 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. Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. According to the Inquirer, Hollmans attorneys said he was targeted by police only because he was a Black man driving a white SUV that matched the description of the one seen fleeing the scene of a shooting that killed Penn student Tae-Jung Ho in August 1991. Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. Photo: Peter Tobia. 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. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. 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To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. Like the traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the victim had been left beaten, bloody, and half naked. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Two-Year Spiritual Direction Training Course, Spring Music Season at Trinity Church Wall Street, Parables, Spirituals, and Our Own Stories with the Rev. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. At one point, Mr. Hicks was considered for parole, but was ultimately denied because he refused to admit guilt, and continued to maintain his innocence. He said Hicks had pulled a gun on police, but put it back in his pocket after being shot three times. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. 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. WebOn February 27, 2003, Hicks was sentenced to between 12 and 25 years in prison. She said she wanted to hold the Bureau of Prisons accountable for the abuse she and others experienced. It was before dawn on Nov. 27, 2001, and Termaine Joseph Hicks was at the wrong place at precisely the wrong time. Website by MADEO. There were moments, but I did not give up, he said. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. In 2001, Mr. Hicks came to the aid of a woman screaming in an alley. 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. Finally home, Mr. Hicks said hes most proud of himself for staying strong and remaining determined to prove his innocence. 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. Theres plenty of us who would give him help. But this settlement closes out a difficult chapter in my life as my family and I now embark on a new one.. 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. 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. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. 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. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police Perjury Led To Wrongful Conviction. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. 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. The tape showed a man in a gray hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. Read Mr Hicks Motion to Vacate, the Commonwealths response and the Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. She tried to get gas. 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. I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. During that time, in the fall of 2008, Hicks joined the EfM group. 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. He was exonerated Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. Cummings said Philadelphia prosecutors would not attempt to retry the tainted case. 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. 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 Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Wednesday after a wrongful incarceration of 19 years. California residents do not sell my data request. 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.. scripts he had written while incarcerated. The gun was also registered to an active-duty police officer who had not reported it missing. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. Now a free man, He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. 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. False testimony was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Inquirer reported. 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. 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. Police claimed that Mr. Hicks had a gun on him as part of their effort to cover up the circumstances of the shooting, but the weapon that was attributed to Mr. Hicks was registered to an active Philadelphia police officer. The officer had not reported the gun missing. 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. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. Mr. Hicks was transported to the hospital in all of his clothing which was preserved and included only a coat, a striped polo shirt, and white t-shirt but no hoodie. But no officers were prosecuted. Hicks was then charged with the rape and later exonerated after the Conviction Integrity Unit found that the case was built on liespossibly to cover up the unjustified shooting and that forensic evidence easily cleared Hicks who should never have been arrested let alone convicted of the rape. He served 19 years for a wrongful conviction. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. 2023 Innocence Project. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. You went with an armed guard, but its still pretty darn intimidating, this long walk to an ugly little room., There were 12 men in the room, and they all stood when I walked in. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, both of Tallahassee, Florida. The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. 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. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Determined to make my dreams come true Hicks fought for years to get the forensic evidence in his case reviewed. She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. A police spokesperson said the DA provided details on the allegations only after Hicks case was resolved. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. 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. Im a playwright, Hicks says. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. Both a forensic analysis of Hicks medical records and a review of his clothing with bullet holes in the back, but none in the front supported Hicks account, according to the citys chief medical examiner. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. 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. 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. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. He served 19 years in prison. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. She was badly beaten, so he reached for his cell phone to call 911. The 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 a rape victim. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. This decision comes after an investigation by the Innocence Project and the District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit who raised concerns about whether the officers fabricated evidence, planted a gun, and arrested Hicks under false pretenses, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 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. 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 Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix last week. WebTermaine Hicks was exonerated on December 16, 2020 after 19 years of wrongful incarceration. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. 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. As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. 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. In fact, it would be eight years before they could look at it. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. Hicks survived, but was charged with the rape and sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison. How Education for Ministry changed Termaine Hicks life Trinity Episcopal Church Call: 304-263-0994 Address: 200 West King St, Martinsburg, WV Online Digital Services Donate Home About Trinity Worship Parish Life News & Events Contact Us Trinity Episcopal Church > Church > How Education for Ministry changed Termaine Hicks life The city has settled civil-rights complaints naming Vinson and Ellis as defendants. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. Those cases have led to more than a dozen exonerations in recent years and have cost the city more than $35 million since 2018. It was brutal for the guys in the penitentiary. For far too long the police have willfully lied with impunity; we need accountability, said Vanessa Potkin, director of post-conviction litigation at the Innocence Project, who represented Mr. Hicks. also offers motivational speaking and training in schools, teaching positive decision-making, how to recognize bullying, and how to communicate with peers who carry guns, sell drugs, or who drink and drive. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. I would remain optimistic and hopeful that the powers that be take a hard look at the numerous officers who were named in that indictment, DeMiles said. The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. Mr. I could have just disappeared, but I want to be on the front lines. But, she added, I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. Vinson testified that he fired because Hicks reached for a gun and lunged at him and his then-partner Zungolo testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived. Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and In his 19 years behind bars, Hicks always maintained his innocence. 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. 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. However, the recent assessments by both the chief medical examiner for the City of Philadelphia and an independent medical examiner concluded that Mr. Hicks was shot from behind meaning he wasnt coming toward the officers when he was shot. Reynolds said she was raped by a correctional officer at Coleman for six months while serving time there. 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. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. 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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. 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.. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. In another, Ellis was one of a number of officers accused of beating a suspect and then arresting him for assault and resisting arrest. They were happy for me, banging on doors, he said. 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. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. Slichter said to them, I dont know how you feel about having a woman for a mentor. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. 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 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. Please enable scripts and reload this page. He said its a sentiment other correctional officers share. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. During his time in prison he joined the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, wrote plays, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. All three shots struck Hicks from behind, yet Vinson said he was forced to fire because Hicks was lunging at him. 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. Based on these lies, Mr. Hicks was convicted of rape, aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime, and terroristic threats in 2002 and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. One of the bullets that entered the back of his arm lodged in his chest, collapsing a lung and requiring emergency surgery. The spokesperson declined to confirm the identity of the third officer under investigation. She also extended an apology to the victim, whose name was withheld. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, police misconduct, like this, has played a role in 35% of wrongful convictions resulting in exonerations since 1989. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. Mr. In addition to the Innocence Project, Mr. Hicks is represented by local counsel Susan Lin of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. 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. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. 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. Step up to it!. 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. During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. She couldnt clearly see her attacker in the dark, and she suffered a head injury. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. Going back to the morning of the crime, the victim was not able to identify her assailant. On Wednesday, after 19 years incarceration, Hicks, 45, was, at last, exonerated. Again, no gray hoodie was found. What she remembered was that after bright lights appeared, the assault stopped. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. Hearing a scream pierce the darkness, he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital. Termaine Hicks speaks out after 19 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit (Part 1), At least 2 dead after exposure to unknown substance at N.Y. senior facility, Clark Atlanta University students mourn loss of athlete fatally shot near campus, Iranian government to investigate series of poisonings, Pennsylvania man accused of trying to bring explosive on plane, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle asked to leave Frogmore Cottage. Its a joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks said after being released. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. 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