During his time in prison he joined the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, wrote plays, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P. Officer Martin Vinson and Sgt. The gun that was entered into evidence was registered to a Philadelphia police officer. A Pennsylvania court has vacated the rape conviction of Termaine Joseph Hicks, freeing him from prison after almost 19 years. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. Officer Martin Vinson, who testified that he fired because Hicks was reaching for a gun and lunging toward him, and his then-partner Sgt. Falsely claiming under oath that Mr. Hicks wore a gray hoodie like that a neighbor described the assailant as wearing. His brother Tone Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. The gun was also registered to an active-duty police officer who had not reported it missing. 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. The way that cops approach Black and brown men and women stems from years of systemic racism. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. 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. Hicks lawyers argue that was the light that caused the attacker to flee before Hicks, and then police, arrived. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. Hearing a scream pierce the darkness, he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. He served 19 years in prison. For 19 years, Termaine Joseph Hicks maintained his innocence. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. 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. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. Potkin said further evidence suggests police planted the gun they said they retrieved from his jacket pocket. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday afternoon. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that does not compensate exonerees. She would always say, Ive got some good news and some not-so-good news. The good news was that he still had a chance, and the not-so-good news was another continuance60 days, 90 days, 180 days. Falsely claiming under oath that they recovered a gun from Mr. Hicks right jacket pocket, which they asserted he placed back in his pocket after he was shot. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. NBC10s Brian Sheehan has his story. He was sentenced to 12 and to 25 years in prison. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Wednesday after a wrongful incarceration of 19 years. The Innocence Project recruited high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden to determine the direction from which the bullets were fired at Hicks. He was exonerated after the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office conceded that lead police Police disciplinary records are currently kept confidential in nearly half of states, including Pennsylvania. Website by MADEO. S.T.E.P.U.P. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. The timing was uncanny. She began taking medication to try to help. Hickss case began in the early-morning hours of Nov. 27, 2001, according to a memorandum summarizing the case, as a woman walked to an early shift at Dunkin Donuts. California residents do not sell my data request. Framed for rape in 2001 at the age of 26, Hicks was falsely incarcerated for nearly two decades. Though EfM groups commonly gather in parish buildings, some convene in prisons. That means its over; youre going to serve your sentence.. 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 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. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. In 2001, a police officer shot the 26-year-old Popeyes manager, later telling a court that Hicks Hicks heard her screams and rushed to help. He was exonerated after 19 years. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. 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. McGrody did not return phone calls on Tuesday. 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. 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. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. His brothers Tone Hicks and Tyron McClendon greeted him upon release. After shooting Hicks, Vinson approached and patted him down in search of his weapon. 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.. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, took on Mr. Hicks case in 2011. He said he felt the amount given to his clients was fair. Vinson, most recently assigned to the Third Police District, has not responded to requests for comment. The men told me how much they loved Dennis.. Through all the years of trials and incarceration, Hicks never lost faith. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. Prior to our interview, he had just given a talk for the Dutch Consulate at the United Nations in New York City. In fact, it would be eight years before they could look at it. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. 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. Termaine Joseph Hicks, 45, was freed from prison in Philadelphia on Wednesday He was jailed in 2001 after cops Marvin Vinson and Dennis Zungolo testified against him In fact, he'd run to the woman's aid when he heard her screaming and the real rapist ran away Settlements for some of the women, some whom are currently still incarcerated there, were higher than the government had initially allocated to pay. Then, Hicks lawyers say, Vinson used his police radio to contact dispatch. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. Mr. 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. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. Slichter invited the Rt. 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. 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. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. After they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. Witnesses also testified that they had seen a man in a gray hoodie attack the woman, according to court records. 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. Along the way I found a hidden talent, he says. False testimony was used, and I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. 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. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. 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 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 As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks 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. The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than 1% of criminal cases that it is asked to review. Vinson and Zungolo still work for the Philadelphia police, the Inquirer reported. 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. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. The tape showed a man in a gray hoodie dragging the victim into the alley. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. After his dramatic exoneration and release from prison, Hicks spent six months just trying to ease back into society. Then, he said he shot Hicks in the chest or stomach. But, he added: Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name. 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. 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. Six of the eight accused officers admitted to having sexual contact with inmates, according to a July document filed by the United States in response to the complaint. 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. When recovered, the firearm was covered in blood belonging to the victim, who was bleeding profusely when the police arrived at the scene. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. 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). However, the court filings detail the role of Officer Robert Ellis, who testified at trial that he had recovered a .38-caliber Taurus from Hicks right jacket pocket. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. Exculpatory post-conviction evidence was shared with the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), which, under District Attorney Larry Krasner and Patricia Cummings, moved to vacate Mr. Hicks conviction yesterday based on the officers false trial testimony. 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. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. They had stage fright. 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