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. Wanting to reach young people before fateful decisions are made, he began to produce videos on gun violence and bullying. It was dark, and she suffered a head trauma during the assault. Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the criminal legal system. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. She assumed those were police spotlights. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration 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 Reynolds said she was raped by a correctional officer at Coleman for six months while serving time there. I cant imagine the hurt in your heart and the million reasons you would have to hate someone but instead you are just happy and thankful. 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. We were all mourning. At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. 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. In 2001, a police officer shot the 26-year-old Popeyes manager, later telling a court that Hicks Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. A Pennsylvania court has vacated the rape conviction of Termaine Joseph Hicks, freeing him from prison after almost 19 years. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. 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. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. 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. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. 2023 Innocence Project. | 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. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit agreed with Hicks and his lawyers, civil-rights attorney Susan Lin, and the Innocence Project, that the case was built on lies possibly to cover up the unjustified shooting that were contradicted by newly analyzed and compelling forensic evidence. After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. 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. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. 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. 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. Exculpatory post-conviction evidence was shared with the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), which, under District Attorney Larry Krasner and Patricia Cummings, moved to vacate Mr. Hicks conviction yesterday based on the officers false trial testimony. 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. God saw fit to keep me alive. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - Seeing so many inmates broken by the prison system, Hicks determined he would find his strength in God. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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. 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 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. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. Returning & Becoming: Kanuga Christian Formation, Episcopal Parish Network 38th Annual Conference, African American Readings of St. Paul with Dr. Lisa Bowens, Life Together Fellow, Church of Our Saviour, Milton, MA, Graduate Resident Youth or Childrens Minister. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. Gutirrez, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other visitors from outside the prison to the performance. 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. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. That video also showed a delivery truck pull into a nearby loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley. 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. 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. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that does not compensate exonerees. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. Website by MADEO. 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. Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. (Image: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Innocence Project). 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 Why dont they? California residents do not sell my data request. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Upon entering prison, Hicks was forced to separate from his son, who was only 5 years old at the time of his sentencing. IE 11 is not supported. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks The things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and a fair look at whats being presented.. 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. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. 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. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. He served 19 years in prison. Hicks lawyers allege that the cover-up went well beyond the three officers. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. The conviction was vacated, and the charge dismissed. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. As one of the men said, referencing the work of famed public interest lawyer and equal justice activist Bryan Stevenson, Would you want to be known for the worst thing you ever did, for the rest of your life?. 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 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. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. 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. On Wednesday, after 19 years incarceration, Hicks, 45, was, at last, exonerated. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. During that time, in the fall of 2008, Hicks joined the EfM group. If the case had not settled, it would have gone to trial next year. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. Web7.9K views, 321 likes, 112 loves, 25 comments, 220 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Innocence Project: Termaine Hicks wrote 12 plays and countless poems during his 19 years of wrongful Termaine Hicks - Just Another Day | Termaine Hicks wrote 12 plays and countless poems during his 19 years of wrongful incarceration. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. Baden testified that all shots were fired from behind Hicks, so he could not have been lunging at the officer who pulled the trigger. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. 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. Dennis Zungolo. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. Mr. Hicks, an Innocence Project client, was wrongly convicted of a rape that took place in Philadelphia in 2001. 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. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. We must have had 150 people in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. This dragging on, its like youre still living it, Reynolds said. She was badly beaten, so he reached for his cell phone to call 911. Twice a month, his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, would call from the Innocence Project. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Mr. Sometimes it comes out in the spiritual autobiography, but we dont ask. 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 Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. 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. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. It was hard to maintain sanity.. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. 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. 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. They instead retired or resigned, and some still receive benefits from their federal employment. Hicks had been exonerated. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. scripts he had written while incarcerated. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. 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. 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. Vinson told the court he saw Hicks attacking the woman and saw him reach for a gun. 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. 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. How Black and Latino people did in this last round of redistricting. 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. 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 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). Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. One of the bullets that entered the back of his arm lodged in his chest, collapsing a lung and requiring emergency surgery. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). on our list, Other Happy Holidays Termaine! 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. Report an error or add more information about this case. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. It was ready to take his case. 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. 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. There were weeks we never once left our cells. Then the pandemic hit. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. In addition to the Innocence Project, Mr. Hicks is represented by local counsel Susan Lin of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP.

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