Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. Like the traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the victim had been left beaten, bloody, and half naked. Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in. 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. My heart was filled with sorrow reading your story but as I saw your smile in the video, my tears of sorrow became tears of joy. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. Vinson and Zungolo remain employed by the department. 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. William Campbell, S.J. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. Now a free man, He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. 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. Before finalizing the decision to drop charges, she consulted with the victims family. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. A neighbor who witnessed the woman being dragged by the assailant from the sidewalk to the alley and called police in real-time, reported that the attacker was wearing a gray hoodie covering his head. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. S.T.E.P.U.P. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. 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. You cant be in this box when it comes to God and religion, he says. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. In 2001, Mr. Hicks came to the aid of a woman screaming in an alley. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Hicks case is yet another example of the pervasive problem of police perjury in the criminal legal system. 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. Daniel G.P. When Black Marxist Angela Davis found out her ancestors owned slaves. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. 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. 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 Wednesday, the Inquirer reported. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. God saw fit to keep me alive. Why dont they? The timing was uncanny. Bitterness is cancerous, and this knowledge frees up my mental space: I know God had me. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. 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. 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. Hicks recruited other prisoners to act in the production. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. 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. Photo: Peter Tobia. 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. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. 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. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. 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. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. information about the Registry, Assault, Other Violent Felony, Gun Possession or Sale, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. Hicks says Vinson muttered something like, damn, and then began to cry. A jury later convicted Hicks of rape, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. Twice a month, his attorney, Vanessa Potkin, would call from the Innocence Project. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. 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. After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Vinson told the court he saw Hicks attacking the woman and saw him reach for a gun. Heres what that means. Officer Martin Vinson, who testified that he fired because Hicks was reaching for a gun and lunging toward him, and his then-partner Sgt. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. Four reasons a credit-card balance transfer may be a bad idea, Dont let paying for a funeral add to your grief, Beware of these pitfalls when planning your own funeral, Sheryl Lee Ralph on her historic Super Bowl act: Its just really neat, Man who died after police used Taser had warned of heart issue, video shows, Memphis officer texted a photo of bloodied Tyre Nichols, records show, Harris, in funeral address, says Tyre Nichols should have been safe. 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. 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 gun was also registered to an active-duty police officer who had not reported it missing. This dragging on, its like youre still living it, Reynolds said. 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. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. 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. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was not the right person. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. (Image: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Innocence Project). Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. Upon entering prison, Hicks was forced to separate from his son, who was only 5 years old at the time of his sentencing. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. 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. In fact, the gun was registered as the off-duty weapon of another uniformed Philadelphia police officer. 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. 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. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. Its a joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks said after being released. Lauren Reynolds received $600,000 for her settlement - but she said it wasnt about the money. 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. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Both a forensic analysis of Hicks medical records and a review of his clothing with bullet holes in the back, but none in the front supported Hicks account, according to the citys chief medical examiner. Theres plenty of us who would give him help. His brother Tone Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. 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. I found what was already there. He created an organization called S.T.E.P.U.P., an acronym for Selfless Thinking Expresses Potential that Uplifts People, and began writing educational scripts that were later turned into films. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. Hicks survived, but was charged with the rape and sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison. 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.. They had stage fright. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. 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. 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. Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. He has always maintained that he arrived at the scene when he attempted to help the victim, she said. 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 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. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. 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. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. 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. 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. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. 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. 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. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. Immediately, Hicks appealed. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. WebOn 03/15/2022 HICKS filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right court case against CITY OF PHILADELPHIA in U.S. District Courts. 21, 2020. 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