Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. They shot him three times in the back. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. 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. (Image: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Innocence Project). A jury believed the polices version of events over Hickss story. 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. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. 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. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. Theres plenty of us who would give him help. 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. 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 The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. Hicks case is yet another example of systemic police abuse that is pervasive in the criminal legal system and persists because of institutional protections and a lack of accountability, said Vanessa Potkin, director of post-conviction litigation at the Innocence Project, who represented Mr. Hicks. Potkin said further evidence suggests police planted the gun they said they retrieved from his jacket pocket. All three shots struck Hicks from behind, yet Vinson said he was forced to fire because Hicks was lunging at him. Vinson has not responded to requests for comment and Zungolo referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. Then the pandemic hit. 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. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and There were weeks we never once left our cells. Lauren Reynolds received $600,000 for her settlement - but she said it wasnt about the money. 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. I could have just disappeared, but I want to be on the front lines. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. 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. Why dont they? Mr. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. 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. 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. 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. 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. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. Along the way I found a hidden talent, he says. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. 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. 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. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. Realizing Mr. Hicks did not match the description of the attacker provided by a neighbor to 911 and that he was unarmed, the officers embarked on a cover-up, which included: Based on the officers testimony, Mr. Hicks was convicted of rape, aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime, and terroristic threats. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. 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. WebSettlement Agreement. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. Reynolds said she was raped by a correctional officer at Coleman for six months while serving time there. Hicks fought for years to get the forensic evidence in his case reviewed. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. 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. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The gun was also registered to an active-duty police officer who had not reported it missing. 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 He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police 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. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from 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. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. Wanting to reach young people before fateful decisions are made, he began to produce videos on gun violence and bullying. Website by MADEO. Joe Rojas, the southeast regional vice president for the workers union, AFGE Council of Prisons, said the case was a black eye for an otherwise hardworking and upright staff. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. 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. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated the conviction and offered a bittersweet congratulations to Hicks. One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. She assumed the lights were police flashlights, but the enhanced footage suggested the light had instead been the delivery trucks headlights. 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. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. 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. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. Today Hicks serves alongside Slichter on the board for the Dennis H. Warner Memorial Foundation, which provides EfM scholarships for inmates and assists family members of the incarcerated. 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. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. He also reached out to the Innocence Project. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. 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. 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. 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). 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. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. 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. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether it would pursue action against the officers. His brother Tone 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.. His brother and friend greeted him upon release. 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.. He served 19 years in prison. A jury later convicted Hicks of rape, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. WebTermaine Hicks is an exoneree and IP client. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. There was no evidence linking Hollman to the shooting and the two witnesses who identified him later recanted and said they were coerced by police to give their false testimonies. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. They have told me that the trauma of a retrial would be unbearable, she said. information about the Registry, Assault, Other Violent Felony, Gun Possession or Sale, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. Chester Hollman III was 21, with no criminal record and a job as an armored-car driver, when he was pulled over in Center City one night in 1991 and charged with the fatal shooting of a University of Pennsylvania student in a botched street robbery. Hicks came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. on our list, Other 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. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. 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