However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. 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. 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. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. 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. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. Thank you for visiting us. 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. 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. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. My heart was filled with sorrow reading your story but as I saw your smile in the video, my tears of sorrow became tears of joy. 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. 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. 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. And the gun the officers alleged to have found in his pocket was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia police officer. The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. 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. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Then, he said he shot Hicks in the chest or stomach. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. 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. [Sewanee School of Theology] It is well known in The Episcopal Church and beyond: Education for Ministry (EfM) changes lives. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. 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. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. What she remembered was that after bright lights appeared, the assault stopped. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. Then, Hicks lawyers say, Vinson used his police radio to contact dispatch. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. Dennis Zungolo. 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. 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. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in. 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. Its a joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks said after being released. Slichter invited the Rt. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). 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. 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. Vinson told the court he saw Hicks attacking the woman and saw him reach for a gun. The reversal comes amid a recent flurry of exonerations as the citys district attorney, Larry Krasner, has aggressively pushed to revisit at least 16 questionable convictions. 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. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. 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. 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. Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. We must have had 150 people in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. When Hicks nudged her, she did not move. His brothers Tone Hicks and Tyron McClendon greeted him upon release. He served 19 years in prison. California residents do not sell my data request. WebLiked by Brandon Hicks Attention School of Law alumni: On Wednesday, March 1, Liberty Law will be holding a memorial service for Curtis Walton, who was tragically murdered How Black and Latino people did in this last round of redistricting. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Rev. They greeted me with such unexpected affection. Reached by phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment or to confirm he was under investigation. 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. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. According to lawyers, it shows a man in a hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. But as settlement conferences dragged on, the effects of her trauma worsened. The things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and a fair look at whats being presented.. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is He said Hicks had pulled a gun on police, but put it back in his pocket after being shot three times. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. Watsons role in the case was not clear, and he was not called to testify. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. 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.. Report an error or add more information about this case. 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. God saw fit to keep me alive. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Wednesday after a wrongful incarceration of 19 years. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. Finally home, Mr. Hicks said hes most proud of himself for staying strong and remaining determined to prove his innocence. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. S.T.E.P.U.P. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. Hicks had been exonerated. She couldnt clearly see her attacker in the dark, and she suffered a head injury. 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. In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. He saw two men running away from a figure on the ground near a dumpster. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks Happy Holidays Termaine! Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. The presumption of innocence., Demographic changes: How the racial makeup of where you live has changed since 1990, Newsletter: Subscribe to About US to read the latest on race and identity, George Floyds America: Examining systemic racism through the lens of his life, Resources: Understanding racism and inequality in America. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. 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 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 $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. 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. Prayer, revival and Jesus Revolution: Is our rotting culture on the verge of something big? 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. scripts he had written while incarcerated. 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. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. They instead retired or resigned, and some still receive benefits from their federal employment. On Wednesday afternoon, released from the State Correctional Institution Phoenix to his brothers home just a few miles away in Montgomery County, Hicks said he was both overjoyed and overwhelmed. Immediately, Hicks appealed. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Now a free man, But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. 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. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Six of the eight accused officers admitted to having sexual contact with inmates, according to a July document filed by the United States in response to the complaint. William Campbell, S.J. 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. WebOn February 27, 2003, Hicks was sentenced to between 12 and 25 years in prison. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. 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 Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, took on Mr. Hicks case in 2011. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. One of the bullets barely missed my spine, but youre talking to a guy who ran a couple of marathons while he was incarcerated., A post shared by Tyron McClendon (@mrgrinch215). The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. 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