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. Someone grabbed her, dragged her into an alley and raped her at gunpoint. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. According to the Inquirer, since 2018, 17 defendants have been exonerated in cases involving many of the same officers who led the investigations into Hollmans and Wrights cases. Termaine Hicks was convicted on rape and other charges, largely on the testimony of police officers. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. California residents do not sell my data request. After the 5th Circuits ruling, does DACA have a future? In the early morning hours of November 27, 2001, Mr. Hicks heard the screams of a woman being raped in an alley in South Philadelphia and went to her aid. Now a free man, Lauren Reynolds received $600,000 for her settlement - but she said it wasnt about the money. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. Medical records and damage to the clothes Hicks was wearing that night showed he had actually been shot in the back, contrary to what police claimed, the Inquirer reported. 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. Slichter invited the Rt. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. 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. The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. All Rights Reserved. into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to produce and promote the videos, which are now being requested in schools around the nation. 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. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. 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. The timing was uncanny. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. He was exonerated 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. Wanting to reach young people before fateful decisions are made, he began to produce videos on gun violence and bullying. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. Potkin also drew parallels to a criminal case, USA v. Mortimer, in which Ellis reported recovering two illegal guns from a suspect during a 1996 traffic stop. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. But as settlement conferences dragged on, the effects of her trauma worsened. As a white man in the deep south(Ms) Ive seen racism and its unfair and uglythis world has no place for that.brother I dont care if you are pink, purple or polka dotted you are welcome to come eat with me and my family anytime.would love to meet you. Rev. 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. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - But, she added, I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. Twice a month, his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, would call from the Innocence Project. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration 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. EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. WebOn 03/15/2022 HICKS filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right court case against CITY OF PHILADELPHIA in U.S. District Courts. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. 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. 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. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. 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. Inmates were sick, some were dying. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks 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. The city has settled civil-rights complaints naming Vinson and Ellis as defendants. They had stage fright. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police 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 Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. He thought about those younger and younger inmates, and knew he needed to get his message to young people before their first encounters with the judicial system. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Gutirrez, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other visitors from outside the prison to the performance. 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. She assumed the lights were police flashlights, but the enhanced footage suggested the light had instead been the delivery trucks headlights. Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. In addition to the Innocence Project, Mr. Hicks is represented by local counsel Susan Lin of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP. 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. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. 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. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. 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. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks Bitterness is cancerous, and this knowledge frees up my mental space: I know God had me. 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 fact, it would be eight years before they could look at it. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, information about the Registry, Assault, Other Violent Felony, Gun Possession or Sale, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. Along the way I found a hidden talent, he says. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. EfM taught me how to open the box, and also how to be diplomatic., He says, EfM was a vessel. 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. 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 In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. But the prosecutors who reworked the case now say at least some of the testimony against Hicks was not true. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated the conviction and offered a bittersweet congratulations to Hicks. The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. 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. 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. Hicks was released from a state prison outside Philadelphia on Wednesday. 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. He was exonerated in 2020. Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name.. Immediately, Hicks appealed. I was writing Christian plays, engaged in independent study, and searching Scripture. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Heres what that means. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. A jury later convicted Hicks of rape, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. 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. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. How Black and Latino people did in this last round of redistricting. A Pennsylvania court has vacated the rape conviction of Termaine Joseph Hicks, freeing him from prison after almost 19 years. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. If seated, a Cherokee delegate could make a big difference in Congress, How the racial makeup of where you live has changed since 1990, Subscribe to About US to read the latest on race and identity, Examining systemic racism through the lens of his life, Understanding racism and inequality in America. WebAfter doing time in prison for a crime he did not commit, Termaine Hicks wrote Step Up, a series of educational videos to teach conflict resolution and critical thinking, to help combat Philadelphias gun violence crisis. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. Four reasons a credit-card balance transfer may be a bad idea, Dont let paying for a funeral add to your grief, Beware of these pitfalls when planning your own funeral, Sheryl Lee Ralph on her historic Super Bowl act: Its just really neat, Man who died after police used Taser had warned of heart issue, video shows, Memphis officer texted a photo of bloodied Tyre Nichols, records show, Harris, in funeral address, says Tyre Nichols should have been safe. God saw fit to keep me alive. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. Prior to our interview, he had just given a talk for the Dutch Consulate at the United Nations in New York City. Termaine Hicks (Photo: Jason E. Miczek for AP/Innocence Project), Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed, Other Philadelphia, Pennsylvania exonerations. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. Hicks said he showed up at the scene moments after the true assailant ran away from those headlights and just a few moments before police arrived. William Campbell, S.J. We need a whole new system.. 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. 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. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Then I was invited to EfM by an usher in the church. There were weeks we never once left our cells. Now, he hopes to produce work for the wider community, including a play about his own life and performances inspired by the oldheads who shared their wisdom over decades in prison. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. 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. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. 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. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. I liked how it was staggered, year one through four, he says. Now, said Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin, He is going to be returned to something that he should have had on Nov. 27, when police encountered him, but he didnt: the presumption of innocence.. 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? What she remembered was that after bright lights appeared, the assault stopped. According to lawyers, it shows a man in a hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. The agreement announced Wednesday is the latest in a string of seven-figure settlements stemming from claims of misconduct by city police in the late 1980s and 90s. 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 a first, House Democrats elected a Black leader. Mr. Mr. 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. This is my ministry, he says. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. She couldnt clearly see her attacker in the dark, and she suffered a head injury. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. 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