But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. Someone grabbed her, dragged her into an alley and raped her at gunpoint. 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 U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. He said its a sentiment other correctional officers share. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Wednesday after a wrongful incarceration of 19 years. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that does not compensate exonerees. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 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. 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 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. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. She began taking medication to try to help. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. In his 19 years behind bars, Hicks always maintained his innocence. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. IE 11 is not supported. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether it would pursue action against the officers. Attempting to reach the Supreme Court as a pro se litigant, would have been an exercise in futility so I withdrew my appellate rights. 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. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. 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. They instead retired or resigned, and some still receive benefits from their federal employment. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. 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. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. His brother Tone | 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. 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. 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. 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. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. 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. 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. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. 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. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. WebHicks Settlement Settled by Tobias Hicks and sons about 1800. WebSettlement Agreement. 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. They were happy for me, banging on doors, he said. 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. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. Upon entering prison, Hicks was forced to separate from his son, who was only 5 years old at the time of his sentencing. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. 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. But as settlement conferences dragged on, the effects of her trauma worsened. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. Inmates were sick, some were dying. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. My motto was, Im not going to ask you to do something I would not do. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. Cummings said Philadelphia prosecutors would not attempt to retry the tainted case. Daniel G.P. Now a free man, A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. In 2001, Mr. Hicks came to the aid of a woman screaming in an alley. Photo: Peter Tobia. Determined to make my dreams come true In fact, the gun was registered as the off-duty weapon of another uniformed Philadelphia police officer. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police Thank you for visiting us. 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. Seeing so many inmates broken by the prison system, Hicks determined he would find his strength in God. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. Vinson, most recently assigned to the Third Police District, has not responded to requests for comment. They have told me that the trauma of a retrial would be unbearable, she said. In another, Ellis was one of a number of officers accused of beating a suspect and then arresting him for assault and resisting arrest. Why dont they? But no officers were prosecuted. 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. 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. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. 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. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. 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. Most of those officers have since retiredas opposed to firing, charges or any semblance of actual accountabilitybut some, like those involved in Hicks case, remain on the force and have even been promoted. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. 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 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. We need a whole new system.. Dennis Zungolo. 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. 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. 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. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. 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. There were weeks we never once left our cells. 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. EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. 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. 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. 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. 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. William Campbell, S.J. False testimony was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Inquirer reported. Going back to the morning of the crime, the victim was not able to identify her assailant. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. 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. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. 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.. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. Please enable scripts and reload this page. 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. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Potkin said further evidence suggests police planted the gun they said they retrieved from his jacket pocket. WebTermaine Hicks is an exoneree and IP client. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. 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. 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. Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. So, I could see the sun, or take a shower, or have a phone callbut only one. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. 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. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. Tell Sometimes it comes out in the spiritual autobiography, but we dont ask. She couldnt clearly see her attacker in the dark, and she suffered a head injury. 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. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Happy Holidays Termaine! In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. Mr. I was writing Christian plays, engaged in independent study, and searching Scripture. EfM taught me how to open the box, and also how to be diplomatic., He says, EfM was a vessel. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. I liked how it was staggered, year one through four, he says. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 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. All Rights Reserved. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. 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. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. Like the traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the victim had been left beaten, bloody, and half naked. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. 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. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. 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 We may earn a commission from links on this page. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. 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. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Doug Harper at (850) 488 Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. 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. Hicks has a powerful testimony against corruption in policing and the judicial system, but his heart is formed by mercy as much as the call to justice. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. Hicks was released from a state prison outside Philadelphia on Wednesday. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police Perjury Led To Wrongful Conviction. He has always maintained that he arrived at the scene when he attempted to help the victim, she said. 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. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Hicks fought for years to get the forensic evidence in his case reviewed. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. There were moments, but I did not give up, he said. Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. Prior to our interview, he had just given a talk for the Dutch Consulate at the United Nations in New York City. And he was unarmed. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. on our list, Other Hearing a scream pierce the darkness, he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital. 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. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, took on Mr. Hicks case in 2011. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is Baden testified that all shots were fired from behind Hicks, so he could not have been lunging at the officer who pulled the trigger. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. 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. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. 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