Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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.. 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. 2023 Innocence Project. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. 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. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. 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. 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. WebHicks Settlement Settled by Tobias Hicks and sons about 1800. It was brutal for the guys in the penitentiary. 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. Yet, forensic examiners found no blood inside of Mr. Hicks jacket pocket. 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. Potkin said further evidence suggests police planted the gun they said they retrieved from his jacket pocket. Reached by phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment or to confirm he was under investigation. 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. 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. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. It was dark, and she suffered a head trauma during the assault. Upon entering prison, Hicks was forced to separate from his son, who was only 5 years old at the time of his sentencing. Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated the conviction and offered a bittersweet congratulations to Hicks. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. Photo: Peter Tobia. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. Prior to our interview, he had just given a talk for the Dutch Consulate at the United Nations in New York City. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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. 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. 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. Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. Termaine Hicks was convicted on rape and other charges, largely on the testimony of police officers. Report an error or add more information about this case. Happy Holidays Termaine! Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. 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. 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. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. 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. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. 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. EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. Going back to the morning of the crime, the victim was not able to identify her assailant. Then, he said he shot Hicks in the chest or stomach. After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. 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 Bitterness is cancerous, and this knowledge frees up my mental space: I know God had me. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). And he was unarmed. 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. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. 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. Medical records and damage to the clothes Hicks was wearing that night showed he had actually been shot in the back, contrary to what police claimed, the Inquirer reported. Surveillance tape from that night could reconcile her account with Hicks. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. 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.. The trial judge retired and was replaced by another judge, which really set the ball in motion, explains Hicks. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether it would pursue action against the officers. (Selfless Thinking Expresses Potential that Uplifts People). After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. They had stage fright. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Hicks came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. They were happy for me, banging on doors, he said. There were weeks we never once left our cells. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. 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. WebTermaine Hicks was exonerated on December 16, 2020 after 19 years of wrongful incarceration. Prayer, revival and Jesus Revolution: Is our rotting culture on the verge of something big? Hicks says, In the judicial system, theres something called finality that is very hard to overcome.. 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. 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. WebOn February 27, 2003, Hicks was sentenced to between 12 and 25 years in prison. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. 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. In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. There are no words to express what was taken from me, Hollman said in a statement after the settlement was announced. This is my ministry, he says. He saw two men running away from a figure on the ground near a dumpster. I signed on to start the next year.. Along the way I found a hidden talent, he says. They instead retired or resigned, and some still receive benefits from their federal employment. He was exonerated in 2020. All Rights Reserved. Inmates were sick, some were dying. 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. 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. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. WebTermaine Hicks is an exoneree and IP client. 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 jury believed the polices version of events over Hickss story. He served 19 years in prison. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. 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 Hicks recruited other prisoners to act in the production. Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. The tape showed a man in a gray hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. 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 the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. God saw fit to keep me alive. 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. McGrody did not return phone calls on Tuesday. That video also showed a delivery truck pull into a nearby loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley. 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. 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. 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. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. 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 As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. 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. He said its a sentiment other correctional officers share. In 2001, a police officer shot the 26-year-old Popeyes manager, later telling a court that Hicks Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. 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