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. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix last week. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Along the way I found a hidden talent, he says. When he was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years, he told the judge: An innocent man cant sit in jail for long. But at parole hearings, according to his lawyers, he was penalized for refusing to accept responsibility for the crime. As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. 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. 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. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is 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. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in nearly half of states, including Pennsylvania. Vinson and then-partner Sgt. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. Thank you for visiting us. In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. During his arrest he was shot three times in the back and the arresting officers lied about the circumstances. We may earn a commission from links on this page. The victim had told police the attack stopped when bright lights shined on her assailant, spooking him. Hicks has a powerful testimony against corruption in policing and the judicial system, but his heart is formed by mercy as much as the call to justice. 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. Three of the women received $1.26 million between them, said their lawyer, James DeMiles. The tape showed a man in a gray hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. 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. 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. She was badly beaten, so he reached for his cell phone to call 911. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to produce and promote the videos, which are now being requested in schools around the nation. Report an error or add more information about this case. 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 Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. The things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and a fair look at whats being presented.. And the gun the officers alleged to have found in his pocket was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia police officer. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. She assumed the lights were police flashlights, but the enhanced footage suggested the light had instead been the delivery trucks headlights. That matched other witness statements that the attacker wore a gray hoodie, while Hicks coat had no hood. In fact, the gun was registered as the off-duty weapon of another uniformed Philadelphia police officer. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. Now, under the scrutiny of a new investigation, the case against Hicks has fallen apart. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Churchwide Global Mission Conference: Journey Into Healing, Finding Home in God with Yale Professor Miroslav Volf 3-Part Online Series. Then the pandemic hit. Wow you are a hero.and a very blessed man. He learned a lot about working with people, interpreting the Bible, and communicating faith. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer There were moments, but I did not give up, he said. An officerwho along with his complicit partner is still currently on the forcefirst shot Hicks three times while he was pulling out a cell phone to call for help for the rape victim. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. The presumption of innocence., Demographic changes: How the racial makeup of where you live has changed since 1990, Newsletter: Subscribe to About US to read the latest on race and identity, George Floyds America: Examining systemic racism through the lens of his life, Resources: Understanding racism and inequality in America. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. In fact, it would be eight years before they could look at it. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. 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. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. He was exonerated after 19 years. 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. In 2001, a police officer shot the 26-year-old Popeyes manager, later telling a court that Hicks 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. Vinson testified that he fired because Hicks reached for a gun and lunged at him and his then-partner Zungolo testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 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. 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. 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. According to her filings, the process of constructing a cover-up began immediately. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. The city has settled civil-rights complaints naming Vinson and Ellis as defendants. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. He said: I tried to get the male to, uh, you know, put his hands where I could see them, and he was reaching for something and I couldnt see it.. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. During his wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Hicks said he focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Now, said Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin, He is going to be returned to something that he should have had on Nov. 27, when police encountered him, but he didnt: the presumption of 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. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. Vinson told the court he saw Hicks attacking the woman and saw him reach for a gun. 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. Now a free man, 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. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. 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. the $9.85 million agreement the city struck in 2018 with Anthony Wright. One of the bullets that entered the back of his arm lodged in his chest, collapsing a lung and requiring emergency surgery. 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. When Black Marxist Angela Davis found out her ancestors owned slaves. She said Hicks had gone to the victim to render aid. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. 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. 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. 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. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. 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. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. 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