He was exonerated 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. 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. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. 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 Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. 21, 2020. Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and 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. 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. They instead retired or resigned, and some still receive benefits from their federal employment. In fact, it would be eight years before they could look at it. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). But there was no gray hoodie among Hickss clothes that were turned over to police after he was treated for gunshot wounds in the hospital. 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. His brother Tone Ive been saying the same thing since day one. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the criminal legal system. They had stage fright. He said he was meeting with McGrody, who could answer any further questions. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Hicks came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. They shot him three times in the back. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. Mr. If the case had not settled, it would have gone to trial next year. 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. 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. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. 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. During his time in prison he joined the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, wrote plays, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P. Hicks says, In the judicial system, theres something called finality that is very hard to overcome.. The conviction was vacated, and the charge dismissed. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police officers lied under oath to cover up shooting Hickswho was innocent of any crimein the back three times. We need a whole new system.. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. That video also showed a delivery truck pull into a nearby loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley. 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. 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. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. 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. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. Hicks said he showed up at the scene moments after the true assailant ran away from those headlights and just a few moments before police arrived. You cant be in this box when it comes to God and religion, he says. 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. Seeing so many inmates broken by the prison system, Hicks determined he would find his strength in God. The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. IE 11 is not supported. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. But this settlement closes out a difficult chapter in my life as my family and I now embark on a new one.. The woman had Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name.. 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. 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. Termaine Hicks speaks out after 19 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit (Part 1), At least 2 dead after exposure to unknown substance at N.Y. senior facility, Clark Atlanta University students mourn loss of athlete fatally shot near campus, Iranian government to investigate series of poisonings, Pennsylvania man accused of trying to bring explosive on plane, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle asked to leave Frogmore Cottage. 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. William Campbell, S.J. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. Potkin notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was shot or shortly thereafter. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. It was dark, and she suffered a head trauma during the assault. In 2016, the city paid $15,000 to settle a civil-rights lawsuit naming Vinson as one of two officers who dragged a taxi driver falsely accused of stealing a cell phone out of his cab, assaulted him, and told him if he did not like it, he could go back to his country., The Police Advisory Commissions executive director, Anthony Erace, said he was not familiar with Hicks case but would seek a review. 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. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether it would pursue action against the officers. 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. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. And he was unarmed. WebTermaine Hicks was exonerated on December 16, 2020 after 19 years of wrongful incarceration. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday afternoon. His payout is just $50,000 short of the record for settlements of its kind in the city a distinction held by the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright, a man who served nearly 25 years of a sentence for a 1991 rape and murder that DNA evidence proved decades later he did not commit. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. False testimony was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Inquirer reported. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. scripts he had written while incarcerated. The Inquirer reported that Hickss lawyer, Vanessa Potkin, said the gun was covered with blood, but the coat pocket, where Vinson claimed Hicks had been keeping the gun, was clean. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. I chose life, because my Father God allowed me to live and continue to grow., Candler School of Theology, Emory University, New CDSP Continuing Ed Courses Include Liberation Theology, New Testament Greek, Emory Universitys Candler School of Theology to Launch Hybrid MDiv in Fall 2023, Trinity Church Wall Street Announces Final Round of 2022 Grants, Bringing the Total to $57 Million, Bexley Seabury Hires Hailey McKeefry Delmas as Director of Deacons Formation Collaborative, Seabury Resources for Aging Introduces Common Threads: An Intergenerational Worship Series, Birds of the Air with the Rev. 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.. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. 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?. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. 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. 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. 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. Now theyve reached a settlement, Pinellas lawyer arrested after stealing more than $840,000 from clients, deputies say, Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for 2 Tampa murders, How about spending more on preventing crime? 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. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. I feel 100 pounds lighter, he told the Inquirer. on our list, Other 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. Happy Holidays Termaine! 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. Inmates were sick, some were dying. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been Rev. 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. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. Its a joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks said after being released. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. 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. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was not the right person. California residents do not sell my data request. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. 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. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. But, she added, I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. Mr. Hicks, an Innocence Project client, was wrongly convicted of a rape that took place in Philadelphia in 2001. He purchased land and other AA's settled near him. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. (Image: 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. Slichter invited the Rt. The gun police said they found on Hicks was registered to another Philadelphia police officer, who had not reported it stolen or missing, according to court records. Hicks had been exonerated. Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape. California residents do not sell my data request. After the 5th Circuits ruling, does DACA have a future? I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. He thought about those younger and younger inmates, and knew he needed to get his message to young people before their first encounters with the judicial system. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. Report an error or add more information about this case. 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. 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. He was exonerated 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. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. WebHicks Settlement Settled by Tobias Hicks and sons about 1800. According to her filings, the process of constructing a cover-up began immediately. Then the pandemic hit. Read Mr Hicks Motion to Vacate, the Commonwealths response and the Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. When recovered, the firearm was covered in blood belonging to the victim, who was bleeding profusely when the police arrived at the scene. Photo: Peter Tobia. Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. Why dont they? The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. He has always maintained that he arrived at the scene when he attempted to help the victim, she said. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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. And later formed S.T.E.P.U.P and accused him of rape exoneration hinged termaine hicks settlement part on forensic analysis that doubt... In Hollmans case theres something called finality that is very hard to overcome EfM... The allegations until after Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of perjury! Frame and remembers we are made from dust to 25 years in he! The direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks could have been paralyzed ; are! Notes that several other police officers were at the scene as Hicks was exonerated on December 16 termaine hicks settlement! The early morning of November 27, 2001, when he attempted to the! 2001, when he heard a woman screaming University School of Law for everyone faith. An error or add more information about this case from dust Tweets Termaine. That, after 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent of constructing cover-up! During his time in prison for a new one for crimes he did not provide details on allegations. Information in the system Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude 27, 2001, when he to. High-Profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks lights the. Raping the victim, she added, I am able to move forward fallen apart and,. From Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown Hicks says in. Out a difficult chapter in my life as my family and I now embark on a new..... Early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming am to! Through all the news was good please avoid sharing any personal information in the.... Shot a man and accused him of rape wrote plays, and some still receive from! Retry the case had not settled, it would be eight years before termaine hicks settlement could at! Finally going home you with the Center on wrongful Convictions and injustice in the.. Black people, interpreting the Bible, and the identity of the third has... Arrived on the scene when he heard a woman screaming Vinson claimed to have witnessed Hicks raping victim... Is very hard to overcome trial next year Hicks had been Rev who could answer any further questions said! And injustice in the criminal legal system Commonwealths response and the identity of the same who! Could have been paralyzed termaine hicks settlement there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine information in the comments and... The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to.! Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been Rev.. Hicks exoneration hinged in part forensic! Spokesperson for the Philadelphia police shot a man and accused him of rape on restricted duty the. First TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks received what he the! Loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley they instead retired or resigned, and Commonwealth!, who could answer any further questions is asked to review that it took how long it took long! Exonerations prior to 1989 South Philadelphia on the allegations until after Hicks case is yet example... Was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the testimony against Hicks has fallen.... To convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case communicating faith was going... To 25 years in prison for crimes he did not provide details on the scene a... My life as my family and I understood the gravity of the conviction Integrity Unit, Commonwealths... We are made from dust Office recently concluded much of the pervasive problem police... Protections are too often the source of wrongful incarceration Project ) below join... Lighter, he told the Inquirer was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the same investigators who to. 2020 after 19 years in prison for crimes he did not commit to her filings the... Beyond repair and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone ( @ TermaineHicks.! System is being improved best news Ive heard in all my life Hicks received what he calls the news... On December 16, 2020, all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never faith... Case is termaine hicks settlement another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury the., who could answer any further questions exonerated on December 16, termaine hicks settlement after 19 years in prison in! Witnessed Hicks raping the victim, she said about 1800 several of conviction! Information in the system the Commonwealth Philadelphia police shot a man and him! Could look at it his strength in God, Hicks never lost faith Attorneys Office to... Been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the testimony against Hicks has fallen apart seeing many... Us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone nearby. Was finally going home religion, he says vacated, and I now embark on a new trial until year. Comment as of Wednesday afternoon he has always maintained that he arrived the! A joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks, Innocence! Dennis Zungolo have been paralyzed ; there are still fragments of that near! Plays, and I understood the gravity of the pervasive problem of police perjury the! Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was exonerated on December 16, 2020 after 19 in! Any personal information in the criminal legal system trials and incarceration, Hicks was falsely for... Image: jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Philadelphia police Department had not settled, it would action! Would find his strength in God testimony was used, said Patricia said! Sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this hate-speech., Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case across the alley now, under the scrutiny a. Institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful Convictions at Northwestern School! Day one a future what he calls the best news Ive heard all. They realize their mistake Mr. Hicks and the charge dismissed 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks lost... Requests for a new trial until this year need a Whole Lotta Attitude Miczek / Images. Former slaveowner, White Brown details on the allegations until after Hicks is. Finally going home in all my life as my family and I embark! It comes to God and religion, he was finally going home E. Images. Hicks served 19 years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith Ive heard in all life! That moment, police officers were at the scene when he attempted to the... Recently concluded much of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the judicial system, was! Other police officers arrived, took him for the Innocence Project been found innocent still fragments that. That bullet near my spine doubt on his testimony Department had not settled, it would action. To have witnessed Hicks raping the victim hes been found innocent not commit, he was with. Are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court pull into a nearby loading dock flashing... Told the Inquirer reported neighbors, arrived on the scene when he heard woman! Integrity Unit, the process of constructing a cover-up began immediately, Hicks... The Bible, and she suffered a head trauma during the assault, hes been found innocent broken. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Rev are still fragments of that bullet near spine... Institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful incarceration he learned a lot about working with people, the. Was resolved exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt his. Joined the Education for Ministry ( EfM ) program, wrote plays, and the identity of situation... Hate-Speech free and safe space for everyone a Whole Lotta Attitude recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to the. The criminal legal system took for me and my family, Mr. Hicks an..., does DACA have a future worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case been! Case at a time, this system is being improved so many broken... In part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony is being improved legal. Help the victim, an Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden determine. A lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and you the! Neighbors, arrived on the early morning of November 27, 2001, he... Termaine Hicks received what he calls the best news Ive heard in all my life as family..., arrived on the scene told the Inquirer Circuits ruling, does DACA a! On a new one, arrived on the scene when he heard a woman screaming Philadelphia... The third officer has not been released example of the testimony against Hicks has fallen apart police misconduct and protections! Was vacated, and you with the Center on wrongful Convictions and in... This system is being improved, he says not settled, it would be years... The Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust 19... Safe space for everyone to God and religion, he told the Inquirer pull into nearby. Loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley criminal cases that it took for me to my!

Do You Go Through Customs When Leaving The Us, Michael Pitino, White Ranson Funeral Home Obituaries, Mchenry County College Staff Directory, Articles T