As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. This is my ministry, he says. They had stage fright. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. 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 came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. According to her filings, the process of constructing a cover-up began immediately. 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. Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. 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. 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. During the trial a year later, the medical examiner would say he could not determine the direction from which the bullets that struck Hicks were fired. 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 One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. When Black Marxist Angela Davis found out her ancestors owned slaves. 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. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. Finally home, Mr. Hicks said hes most proud of himself for staying strong and remaining determined to prove his innocence. 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. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. 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. This article was published more than2 years ago. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. He is going to be returned to something that he should have had on November 27, when police encountered him, but he didnt, Potkin said, the Inquirer reported. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. During his arrest he was shot three times in the back and the arresting officers lied about the circumstances. 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. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. 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 cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. He served 19 years for a wrongful conviction. The vision is to have these videos in every classroom. He turned S.T.E.P.U.P. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. Officer Martin Vinson, who testified that he fired because Hicks was reaching for a gun and lunging toward him, and his then-partner Sgt. When recovered, the firearm was covered in blood belonging to the victim, who was bleeding profusely when the police arrived at the scene. 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. Twice a month, his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, would call from the Innocence Project. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. 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 She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. 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. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. Wanting to reach young people before fateful decisions are made, he began to produce videos on gun violence and bullying. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. One of the bullets that entered the back of his arm lodged in his chest, collapsing a lung and requiring emergency surgery. You went with an armed guard, but its still pretty darn intimidating, this long walk to an ugly little room., There were 12 men in the room, and they all stood when I walked in. 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. Slichter invited the Rt. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. Step up to it!. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. I feel 100 pounds lighter, he told the Inquirer. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. 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. In another, Ellis was one of a number of officers accused of beating a suspect and then arresting him for assault and resisting arrest. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after 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 The conviction was vacated, and the charge dismissed. Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix last week. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer Determined to make my dreams come true 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. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. Within 30 days of surrendering his appellate rights, Hicks was contacted by the Innocence Project. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. Before finalizing the decision to drop charges, she consulted with the victims family. He purchased land and other AA's settled near him. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. He was exonerated after 19 years. Now, Potkin said, hes focused on returning to society, building on his relationship with his son, now 24, and meeting a 2-year-old grandson for the first time. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. 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. 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 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. EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Joseph Tremaine Hicks, his lawyer said, is going to be returned to something that he should have had when police encountered him the presumption of innocence.. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. 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. Is Wakanda Forever too woke for Marvels own good? 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. 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 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. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. He was exonerated in 2020. 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. Watsons role in the case was not clear, and he was not called to testify. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Read Mr Hicks Motion to Vacate, the Commonwealths response and the Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. 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. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. 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 these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. 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. 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. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. How Black and Latino people did in this last round of redistricting. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. William Campbell, S.J. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. 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. 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. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. 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. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. My motto was, Im not going to ask you to do something I would not do. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. 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. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. When Hicks nudged her, she did not move. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 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 trial judge retired and was replaced by another judge, which really set the ball in motion, explains Hicks. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. 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. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. IE 11 is not supported. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. A jury believed the polices version of events over Hickss story. Happy Holidays Termaine! Not provide details on the [ cell ] block were shouting Collegeville,.... About the circumstances near my spine Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville Penn. 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