WebOn 03/15/2022 HICKS filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right court case against CITY OF PHILADELPHIA in U.S. District Courts. It was hard to maintain sanity.. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. In another, Ellis was one of a number of officers accused of beating a suspect and then arresting him for assault and resisting arrest. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. 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. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. Then they began to let us out againbut only for 15 minutes a day. The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. 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. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. 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. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. Termaine Hicks, 47, on West Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2022. Only Jesus can do this.you are blessed. 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. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. Daniel G.P. 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. Rev. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. 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. 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. False testimony was used, said Patricia Cummings, chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Inquirer reported. 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. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police shot Mr. Hicks as he was helping a victim. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. 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. I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. Like the traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the victim had been left beaten, bloody, and half naked. Both Gillum and Lettman-Hicks were indicted as part of the FBI's long-running investigation into public corruption in Tallahassee. The investigation already netted convictions and federal prison time for former Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox, his longtime aide Paige Carter-Smith and wealthy entrepreneur John "J.T." Burnette. Baden testified that all shots were fired from behind Hicks, so he could not have been lunging at the officer who pulled the trigger. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. Video footage showing the actual assailant dragging the woman into seclusion was never shown to jurors and soon disappeared from evidence. Hicks lawyers allege that the cover-up went well beyond the three officers. 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. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. Vinson and Zungolo still work for the Philadelphia police, the Inquirer reported. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. Hicks says Vinson muttered something like, damn, and then began to cry. 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 may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. 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. Potkin also drew parallels to a criminal case, USA v. Mortimer, in which Ellis reported recovering two illegal guns from a suspect during a 1996 traffic stop. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. California residents do not sell my data request. 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. 21, 2020. 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. 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. One witness was threatened with arrest and the other was promised help on his own pending criminal case in exchange for falsely implicating Hollman. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. There are no words to express what was taken from me, Hollman said in a statement after the settlement was announced. But no officers were prosecuted. What she remembered was that after bright lights appeared, the assault stopped. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - Dennis Zungolo testified against him They claim they found him raping a woman in an alley near a hospital and All Rights Reserved. There were weeks we never once left our cells. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. 2023 Innocence Project. A police spokesperson said that the district attorney did not provide details on the allegations until after Hicks case was resolved. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks You cant be in this box when it comes to God and religion, he says. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. on our list, Other
Theres plenty of us who would give him help. Why are prominent Los Angeles Latinos saying such racist things? After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. The women feared that if they came forward theyd be sent to another federal facility far from their families, interrupting the education and work programs they had at Coleman, which is the largest federal prison in the U.S. Settlements were approved by the Attorney Generals office on Monday. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. 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. He had his hand in his pocket because he was going to attempt to call the police when they arrived and shot him in the back. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in nearly half of states, including Pennsylvania. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. He purchased land and other AA's settled near him. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. 2023 Innocence Project. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. Now a free man, They shot him three times in the back. 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?. Immediately, Hicks appealed. 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. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. Hicks is the 16th person exonerated by the Conviction Integrity Unit since District Attorney Larry Krasner took office in 2018, and the first to be cleared of a rape. Then I was invited to EfM by an usher in the church. According to the Inquirer, Hollmans attorneys said he was targeted by police only because he was a Black man driving a white SUV that matched the description of the one seen fleeing the scene of a shooting that killed Penn student Tae-Jung Ho in August 1991. | Editorial, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation, St. Pete womans dream home turns into a nightmare after she finds code violation, DeSantis, GOP lawmakers pursue efforts to weaken news media protections, Florida man paralyzed by officer who mistook gun for Taser sues, Explosive found on Florida-bound Allegiant flight, man arrested, States move to crack down on nurses with bogus diplomas from Florida schools, correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them, Florida teen charged as adult in rigged homecoming election. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. 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 came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. WebTermaine Hicks is an exoneree and IP client. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. 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. They have told me that the trauma of a retrial would be unbearable, she said. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. When Black Marxist Angela Davis found out her ancestors owned slaves. 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. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. Mr. Hicks, an Innocence Project client, was wrongly convicted of a rape that took place in Philadelphia in 2001. IE 11 is not supported. Website by MADEO. In 2001, Mr. Hicks came to the aid of a woman screaming in an alley. The things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and a fair look at whats being presented.. If the case had not settled, it would have gone to trial next year. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. A jury later convicted Hicks of rape, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. As the Psalmist wrote, God knows our frame and remembers we are made from dust. With that understanding, I am able to move forward. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. 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. 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