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. Thank you for visiting us. Determined to make my dreams come true According to lawyers, it shows a man in a hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. He often speaks for the Innocence Project. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. 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. 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. 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. They have told me that the trauma of a retrial would be unbearable, she said. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been Happy Holidays Termaine! Seeing so many inmates broken by the prison system, Hicks determined he would find his strength in God. It was before dawn on Nov. 27, 2001, and Termaine Joseph Hicks was at the wrong place at precisely the wrong time. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. (Image: Jason E. Miczek/AP Images for the Innocence Project). 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?. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. 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. McGrody did not return calls Tuesday. Hicks was not eligible for parole because he maintained his innocence and would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. 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. First, they had to show new evidence in order to ask for a new trial. Now, Potkin said, hes focused on returning to society, building on his relationship with his son, now 24, and meeting a 2-year-old grandson for the first time. 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. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. If he needs access to an editor, publisher, or manager. 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. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. Philadelphia police officer Marvin Vinson arrived on the scene with his partner, Sgt. At that moment, police, responding to the calls of several neighbors, arrived on the scene. The tape showed a man in a gray hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, By Associated Press - Vinson and Zungolo still work for the Philadelphia police, the Inquirer reported. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. Watsons role in the case was not clear, and he was not called to testify. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. Thank you for visiting us. Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. WebLiked by Brandon Hicks Attention School of Law alumni: On Wednesday, March 1, Liberty Law will be holding a memorial service for Curtis Walton, who was tragically murdered But the prosecutors who reworked the case now say at least some of the testimony against Hicks was not true. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. WebOn 03/15/2022 HICKS filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right court case against CITY OF PHILADELPHIA in U.S. District Courts. The footage then shows a delivery van arriving, the flash of its headlights flooding the alley. According to the Inquirer, since 2018, 17 defendants have been exonerated in cases involving many of the same officers who led the investigations into Hollmans and Wrights cases. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. But the surveillance footage was not provided to Hicks or his lawyers until after his trial had concluded. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, He was exonerated after 19 years. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. 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. Hicks calls the Innocence Project team relentless, God-sent, true advocates. Still, it would take nearly another decade to set Hicks free. 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. All three shots struck Hicks from behind, yet Vinson said he was forced to fire because Hicks was lunging at him. I liked interacting with all of it. Termaine Hicks was convicted on rape and other charges, largely on the testimony of police officers. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. Hicks was in South Philadelphia on the early morning of November 27, 2001, when he heard a woman screaming. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been walking home when he heard a woman screaming. 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. 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.. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. 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. 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. Hicks lawyers allege that the cover-up went well beyond the three officers. One of the bullets that entered the back of his arm lodged in his chest, collapsing a lung and requiring emergency surgery. Police arriving at the scene completely misread the situation, erroneously assuming Mr. Hicks was the assailant, and shot him three times in the back. Within 30 days of surrendering his appellate rights, Hicks was contacted by the Innocence Project. 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. 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 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. But no officers were prosecuted. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. Photo: Peter Tobia. But on December 16, 2020, all the news was good. To find an EfM group near you or learn more about EfM groups in prisons, read more here. Mr. The Philadelphia police did not immediately return a request for comment on the case, but Anthony Erace, the executive director of the Police Advisory Commission, told the Inquirer he would seek a review of the investigation. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. The chief medical examiner recanted his prior testimony. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. They shot him three times in the back. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. He wrote and directed 12 plays in prison. In 2015, Mr. Hicks came up for parole, but because he continued to assert his innocence he was denied, and not considered again. Police claimed that Mr. Hicks had a gun on him as part of their effort to cover up the circumstances of the shooting, but the weapon that was attributed to Mr. Hicks was registered to an active Philadelphia police officer. The officer had not reported the gun missing. 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. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. 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. Earlier this month, The Root reported that another Black man, 45-year-old Termaine Hicks was exonerated of rape after spending 19 years in a Philadelphia prison. On Wednesday afternoon, released from the State Correctional Institution Phoenix to his brothers home just a few miles away in Montgomery County, Hicks said he was both overjoyed and overwhelmed. According to her filings, the process of constructing a cover-up began immediately. After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. Dennis Zungolo. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Two-Year Spiritual Direction Training Course, Spring Music Season at Trinity Church Wall Street, Parables, Spirituals, and Our Own Stories with the Rev. 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. Today Hicks serves alongside Slichter on the board for the Dennis H. Warner Memorial Foundation, which provides EfM scholarships for inmates and assists family members of the incarcerated. There was irrefutable evidence that Chester was innocent, is innocent and has always been innocent and would never have been wrongfully convicted aside from extraordinary police misconduct, Green said. Visitors walked directly through the general population to the other end of the prison where the chapel was, where the classes are held. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. Going back to the morning of the crime, the victim was not able to identify her assailant. Bitterness is cancerous, and this knowledge frees up my mental space: I know God had me. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). 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. 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 She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. 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. 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. 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. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. During that time, in the fall of 2008, Hicks joined the EfM group. His attorney Amelia Green said the evidence supporting Hollmans innocence which garnered media attention first in the form of a 2017 report in The Inquirer and, in April, an episode of the Netflix series The Innocence Files put pressure on city officials to resolve the case swiftly, though neither they nor police admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement deal. They lied under oath to cover up for shooting an innocent man three times in the back, Innocence Project lawyer Vanessa Potkin said. They greeted me with such unexpected affection. When you look more broadly at the other officers involved in this case, there is a larger pattern of official misconduct, Potkin said. 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