Vinson and Zungolo still work for the Philadelphia police, the Inquirer reported. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. The timing was uncanny. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. IE 11 is not supported. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. 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. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. It was hard to maintain sanity.. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. All three shots struck Hicks from behind, yet Vinson said he was forced to fire because Hicks was lunging at him. After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. She tried to get gas. Slichter said to them, I dont know how you feel about having a woman for a mentor. 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. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Like the traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the victim had been left beaten, bloody, and half naked. In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. Heres what that means. 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. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. It appears that for years and even decades the Philadelphia criminal justice system has shown a pattern of locking up Black men for crimes they didnt commit based on the work of corrupt police officers and conviction-happy courts that never really consider that a Black defendant might be getting railroaded despite a glaring lack of evidence to support their guilt. 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. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. 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 Everything slowed down, says Hicks. 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. Only Jesus can do this.you are blessed. If the case had not settled, it would have gone to trial next year. 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. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 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. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. 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. | 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. His brothers Tone Hicks and Tyron McClendon greeted him upon release. Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was not the right person. 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. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. Happy Holidays Termaine! 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. Hicks lawyers allege that the cover-up went well beyond the three officers. 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. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. Although most of the evidence analyzed in the recent review of the case was available at the time of Hickss original trial, the jury never saw an enhanced security tape that corroborated parts of Hickss story. 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. 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. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. Someone grabbed her, dragged her into an alley and raped her at gunpoint. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. 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. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that does not compensate exonerees. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. WebOn February 27, 2003, Hicks was sentenced to between 12 and 25 years in prison. Vinson, most recently assigned to the Third Police District, has not responded to requests for comment. 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. Seeing so many inmates broken by the prison system, Hicks determined he would find his strength in God. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration
Reynolds said she was raped by a correctional officer at Coleman for six months while serving time there. In addition to the Innocence Project, Mr. Hicks is represented by local counsel Susan Lin of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP. I liked how it was staggered, year one through four, he says. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. 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. He served 19 years for a wrongful conviction. 2023 Innocence Project. 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. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in nearly half of states, including Pennsylvania. Mr. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. So, I could see the sun, or take a shower, or have a phone callbut only 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. She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. He said he was meeting with McGrody, who could answer any further questions. There are no words to express what was taken from me, Hollman said in a statement after the settlement was announced. I liked interacting with all of it. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. During that time, Hicks worked his way through the local trial court, the appellate, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, until he only had one option remaining: the U.S. Supreme Court. 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. 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. That decision comes after an investigation by the Innocence Project and the District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit raised serious questions about whether police had fabricated evidence, planted a gun, and arrested Hicks under false pretenses all to conceal a police shooting of an innocent bystander who had rushed to aid a rape victim. During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. Hicks fought for years to get the forensic evidence in his case reviewed. Prayer, revival and Jesus Revolution: Is our rotting culture on the verge of something big? After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. 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. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Determined to make my dreams come true Twice a month, his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, would call from the Innocence Project. Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. They have told me that the trauma of a retrial would be unbearable, she said. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Why dont they? Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. 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. Step up to it!. 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. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. The gun police said they found on Hicks was registered to another Philadelphia police officer, who had not reported it stolen or missing, according to court records. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. You cant be in this box when it comes to God and religion, he says. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. But the prosecutors who reworked the case now say at least some of the testimony against Hicks was not true. 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. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. Hickss case began in the early-morning hours of Nov. 27, 2001, according to a memorandum summarizing the case, as a woman walked to an early shift at Dunkin Donuts. After the 5th Circuits ruling, does DACA have a future? When recovered, the firearm was covered in blood belonging to the victim, who was bleeding profusely when the police arrived at the scene. 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. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. 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.. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Twenty-seven judges had looked at my case by then, explains Hicks. Those cases have led to more than a dozen exonerations in recent years and have cost the city more than $35 million since 2018. Slichter invited the Rt. Inmates were sick, some were dying. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. It was brutal for the guys in the penitentiary. She also extended an apology to the victim, whose name was withheld. 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. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, 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. 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. 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. Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. 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