Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. 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. Vaccines dont work, masks dont work: Everything government told us about COVID-19 was wrong. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. My motto was, Im not going to ask you to do something I would not do. I signed on to start the next year.. Upon entering prison, Hicks was forced to separate from his son, who was only 5 years old at the time of his sentencing. Again, no gray hoodie was found. 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.. But that defendant was acquitted at a re-trial when the defense presented evidence that Officer Ellis planted ballistics and falsely attributed guns to the accused that he did not in fact possess.. Mr. Hicks, an Innocence Project client, was wrongly convicted of a rape that took place in Philadelphia in 2001. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police That video also showed a delivery truck pull into a nearby loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. 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. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. 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. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. 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. the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. 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. She said she wanted to hold the Bureau of Prisons accountable for the abuse she and others experienced. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. Hicks was released from a state prison outside Philadelphia on Wednesday. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. 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. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. 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. And he was unarmed. Surveillance tape from that night could reconcile her account with Hicks. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. 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. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Prior to our interview, he had just given a talk for the Dutch Consulate at the United Nations in New York City. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. Reached by phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment or to confirm he was under investigation. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. 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. 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. It was hard to maintain sanity.. She assumed the lights were police flashlights, but the enhanced footage suggested the light had instead been the delivery trucks headlights. 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. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. 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. But in recent years, evidence has piled up to suggest that the case presented by police and prosecutors was riddled with errors, the Inquirer reported. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. He said Hicks had pulled a gun on police, but put it back in his pocket after being shot three times. Then I was invited to EfM by an usher in the church. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Thank you for visiting us. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. 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. 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. Though EfM groups commonly gather in parish buildings, some convene in prisons. It was before dawn on Nov. 27, 2001, and Termaine Joseph Hicks was at the wrong place at precisely the wrong time. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. 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. McGrody did not return phone calls on Tuesday. 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. Bryan Busch, who represented 11 women, and Phil Reizenstein, who represents one woman, said they did not want to comment on the settlement amounts until funds were released. 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. A police spokesperson said the DA provided details on the allegations only after Hicks case was resolved. Termaine Hicks was convicted on rape and other charges, largely on the testimony of police officers. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. How Black and Latino people did in this last round of redistricting. 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 began taking medication to try to help. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. 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. 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. 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. 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. Lauren Reynolds received $600,000 for her settlement - but she said it wasnt about the money. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. His brother Tone For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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 Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. 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 had been exonerated. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?. Making it easier for Black people to vote had unexpected consequences, Latinos who use Spanish-language social media get more misinformation, How public colleges have already backed away from affirmative action. Someone grabbed her, dragged her into an alley and raped her at gunpoint. Termaine Joseph Hicks was freed from prison in Philadelphia on Wednesday after serving 19 of 25 years on a trumped up conviction Hicks, now 45, was jailed in 2001 after Philadelphia cops Marvin Vinson and Sgt. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. Hicks fought for years to get the forensic evidence in his case reviewed. 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