Its a joyful day for me and my family, Mr. Hicks said after being released. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. The trial judge retired and was replaced by another judge, which really set the ball in motion, explains Hicks. Photo: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for The Innocence Project. Hicks was convicted of rape and weapons offenses, with 20 officers testifying against him. 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. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Doug Harper at (850) 488 To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. Potkin said further evidence suggests police planted the gun they said they retrieved from his jacket pocket. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been EfM taught me how to open the box, and also how to be diplomatic., He says, EfM was a vessel. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison on Dec. 16, 2020, in Collegeville, Penn. 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. His brother Tone 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. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police Perjury Led To Wrongful Conviction. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Wednesday after a wrongful incarceration of 19 years. That video also showed a delivery truck pull into a nearby loading dock, flashing its lights across the alley. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. Thank you for visiting us. 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. But, she added, I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. Several of the same investigators who worked to convict Wright were also involved in Hollmans case. 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. 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. Group showed footage of fatal Breonna Taylor raid at restaurant event, dine BLM co-founders cousin dies after police repeatedly use Taser, video shows, Bidens marijuana policy may change attitudes toward immigrants. Returning & Becoming: Kanuga Christian Formation, Episcopal Parish Network 38th Annual Conference, African American Readings of St. Paul with Dr. Lisa Bowens, Life Together Fellow, Church of Our Saviour, Milton, MA, Graduate Resident Youth or Childrens Minister. The police froze the crime scene and catalogued whatever was there. Read Mr Hicks Motion to Vacate, the Commonwealths response and the Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. The Best News Ive Heard in All My Li After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. William Campbell, S.J. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. Nightly Films Termaine Hicks speaks out after 19 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit (Part 1) In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. Is Wakanda Forever too woke for Marvels own good? The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. The man they had just shot did not match the description of the attacker provided by a witness, who saw the assailant dragging the victim into an alley. Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. 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 was convicted on rape and other charges, largely on the testimony of police officers. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. His attorneys celebrated the exoneration Wednesday, noting that Hicks, who was the father of a 5-year-old boy when he was incarcerated, would be able to meet his 2-year-old grandson for the first time. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. 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. Why are prominent Los Angeles Latinos saying such racist things? I dont know how you feel about having a white woman. One of the inmates replied, Miss Ginny, everybody needs a mama! For the first couple of years, she was known as Mama Ginny. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police If the case had not settled, it would have gone to trial next year. 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. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. 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. He was arraigned while handcuffed to a hospital bed. Thank you for visiting us. 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). Heres what that means. 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. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. Though EfM groups commonly gather in parish buildings, some convene in prisons. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. The reversal comes amid a recent flurry of exonerations as the citys district attorney, Larry Krasner, has aggressively pushed to revisit at least 16 questionable convictions. McGrody did not return phone calls on Tuesday. Finally home, Mr. Hicks said hes most proud of himself for staying strong and remaining determined to prove his innocence. Deep-seated police misconduct and institutional protections are too often the source of wrongful convictions and injustice in the system. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Vinson, most recently assigned to the Third Police District, has not responded to requests for comment. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. (Image: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Innocence Project). Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. As the case slowly made its way through the courts, she said she couldnt sleep through the night. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. It was brutal for the guys in the penitentiary. Surveillance tape from that night could reconcile her account with Hicks. 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. After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. It was ready to take his case. 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.. When recovered, the firearm was covered in blood belonging to the victim, who was bleeding profusely when the police arrived at the scene. 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. Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. Termaine Joseph Hicks was freed from prison in Philadelphia on Wednesday after serving 19 of 25 years on a trumped up conviction Hicks, now 45, was jailed in 2001 after Philadelphia cops Marvin Vinson and Sgt. Again, no gray hoodie was found. He was exonerated in 2020. Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix last week. 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. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. Twenty-seven judges had looked at my case by then, explains Hicks. Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in nearly half of states, including Pennsylvania. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. A Pennsylvania court has vacated the rape conviction of Termaine Joseph Hicks, freeing him from prison after almost 19 years. Ignatius, Discernment, and You with the Rev. During his wrongful imprisonment, Termaine focused on his mental and spiritual health and used creative writing as an emotional outlet. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was exonerated after 19 years. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Reynolds, a former inmate at Coleman, had hoped to go to trial and help spark prison reform. Report an error or add more information about this case. Bitterness is cancerous, and this knowledge frees up my mental space: I know God had me. This dragging on, its like youre still living it, Reynolds said. Mr. Gutirrez, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other visitors from outside the prison to the performance. 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. They were happy for me, banging on doors, he said. 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. Determined to make my dreams come true He saw two men running away from a figure on the ground near a dumpster. The basics of personal finance, like How to save for a house. Figure out your next step toward financial freedom. Slichter describes her first visit to the prison. IE 11 is not supported. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. She tried to get gas. 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. I do feel that, one case at a time, this system is being improved.. She also extended an apology to the victim, whose name was withheld. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, took on Mr. Hicks case in 2011. We must have had 150 people in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter. However, police did not disclose the surveillance footage until after the trial. We need a whole new system.. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. 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. information about the Registry, Assault, Other Violent Felony, Gun Possession or Sale, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. 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. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. 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. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. 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. After the 5th Circuits ruling, does DACA have a future? My motto was, Im not going to ask you to do something I would not do. Officer Martin Vinson, who testified that he fired because Hicks was reaching for a gun and lunging toward him, and his then-partner Sgt. To review: police Perjury Led to wrongful Conviction Florida repeatedly sexually abused.... The classes are held 15 women who said correctional officers at a prison! 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