Reached by phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment or to confirm he was under investigation. 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. We must have had 150 people in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter. scripts he had written while incarcerated. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. After 19 years in prison, hes been found innocent. He said he was meeting with McGrody, who could answer any further questions. But in recent years, evidence has piled up to suggest that the case presented by police and prosecutors was riddled with errors, the Inquirer reported. The woman had 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. We empower youth to use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools. Dennis Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. 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. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm, chest, back, and buttock. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether it would pursue action against the officers. 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. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. 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. She couldnt clearly see her attacker in the dark, and she suffered a head injury. 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. Now theyve reached a settlement, Pinellas lawyer arrested after stealing more than $840,000 from clients, deputies say, Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for 2 Tampa murders, How about spending more on preventing crime? A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday afternoon. The Innocence Project and Philadelphia DAs Conviction Integrity Unit found evidence police lied to cover up the shooting of Termaine Joseph Hicks, a bystander who rushed to help a rape victim. 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. Chester Hollman III was 21, with no criminal record and a job as an armored-car driver, when he was pulled over in Center City one night in 1991 and charged with the fatal shooting of a University of Pennsylvania student in a botched street robbery. Ive been saying the same thing since day one. Hicks came from Maryland, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown. It was a chance for me to try to find out how God operates with us. Hearing a scream pierce the darkness, he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital. 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. Until then, he just wants to spend time with his family as a free person. The officers falsely testified at trial that Mr. Hicks had lunged at them while armed with a gun that he pulled from his pocket. Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for perjury and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years. 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. His brothers Tone Hicks (left) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release. Gutirrez, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and other visitors from outside the prison to the performance. Mr. 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. TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, You cant be in this box when it comes to God and religion, he says. The things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and a fair look at whats being presented.. I liked how it was staggered, year one through four, he says. She also extended an apology to the victim, whose name was withheld. 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. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix Prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn. On a November morning in 2001, Hicks had just walked his little brother, Tyron, to the bus stop in their south Philadelphia neighborhood, when he was called to be a real-life Good Samaritan. In prison, I had to coax some of those guys up there. A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers. Its not the closure I wanted but its still closure., The 15 women suing said officers had sexually assaulted and abused them for years. 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. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. He served 19 years in prison. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. We were all mourning. 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. Zungolo, of South Detectives Division, declined an interview and referred questions to John McGrody, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. I could have been paralyzed; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. Im excited for younow go live your life manyou deserve a good one. One of those plays, Soldiers in the Army of the Lord, was performed at Graterford in 2012 in honor of Hickss EfM graduation. She began taking medication to try to help. 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. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. This dragging on, its like youre still living it, Reynolds said. And I believe its impossible to say that did not contribute to the conviction.. Hicks served 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. (Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020) Termaine Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania prison SCI Phoenix yesterday. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. 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. 2023 Innocence Project. There were weeks we never once left our cells. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. Abram Depp Settlement The farm of Abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this settlement of African Americans. 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?. After realizing theyd shot an unarmed man who did not match the description of the attacker, the officers conspired to cover it up. 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. Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison. He was exonerated after 19 years. 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. Jason E. Miczek / AP Images for The Innocence Project. 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. Hicks exoneration hinged in part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony. 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. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. 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. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. In 2003, the Innocence Project had just 15 attorneys and could not take his case. Now a free man, Recent forensic examinations by the chief medical examiner for the City of Philadelphia and an independent medical examiner conclusively prove that the officer shot Mr. Hicks three times in the back with one bullet entering near his spine, one in his buttock, and one in the back of his right arm. Most of these kids had made a single mistake, he says, often as the result of bullying, and their entire lives were disrupted. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman vacated the conviction and offered a bittersweet congratulations to Hicks. READ MORE: Police shot a Philly man, then accused him of rape. Then he pulled out the S.T.E.P.U.P. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is Baden testified that all shots were fired from behind Hicks, so he could not have been lunging at the officer who pulled the trigger. And the gun the officers alleged to have found in his pocket was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia police officer. Most of the more than 120,000 people who have participated in the four-year theological education program will agree. Wednesday, December 23, 2020, The Front Page Podcast: Pumping the Brakes, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Few will have a story as heart-wrenching as Termaine Hickss. Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District Court. Listen: Stories about Black men spending years and even decades behind bars for crimes they didnt. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. 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. You went with an armed guard, but its still pretty darn intimidating, this long walk to an ugly little room., There were 12 men in the room, and they all stood when I walked in. She said she wanted to hold the Bureau of Prisons accountable for the abuse she and others experienced. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. Thank you for visiting us. What we are doing is just reintroducing simple life decision-making, Hicks explains. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. Step up to it!. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Then the pandemic hit. I liked interacting with all of it. As he was sentenced, Hicks told the judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail for long. Hicks At the time of his arrest, Hicks was an assistant manager at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son. William Campbell, S.J. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. But Hicks has always told a different story: He ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream. I chose life, because my Father God allowed me to live and continue to grow., Candler School of Theology, Emory University, New CDSP Continuing Ed Courses Include Liberation Theology, New Testament Greek, Emory Universitys Candler School of Theology to Launch Hybrid MDiv in Fall 2023, Trinity Church Wall Street Announces Final Round of 2022 Grants, Bringing the Total to $57 Million, Bexley Seabury Hires Hailey McKeefry Delmas as Director of Deacons Formation Collaborative, Seabury Resources for Aging Introduces Common Threads: An Intergenerational Worship Series, Birds of the Air with the Rev. I was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily. 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. Slichter said to them, I dont know how you feel about having a woman for a mentor. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. Now, he hopes to produce work for the wider community, including a play about his own life and performances inspired by the oldheads who shared their wisdom over decades in prison. 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. He saw two men running away from a figure on the ground near a dumpster. He said come sit, check it out. Hicks went to one session as a guest and was intrigued by the concept. During his time in prison he joined the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, wrote plays, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer They were happy for me, banging on doors, he said. In this case, the new evidence came from Hickss clothing and his own body. A police spokesperson said the DA provided details on the allegations only after Hicks case was resolved. Dennis Zungolo, who testified he saw Hicks pulling up his pants when police arrived, were both placed on restricted duty, the spokesperson confirmed. 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 IE 11 is not supported. 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. Dennis Zungolo, who was with him at the scene, did not return phone and email messages Wednesday. Termaine Hicks case marks the 16th exoneration since 2018 attributed to the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office Conviction Integrity Unit. In his first TV interview since his exoneration, Termaine Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case. after a wrongful incarceration for 19 years. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. Slichter said to them, i dont know how you feel about having a woman for a mentor she others! 15 Attorneys and could not take his case use their voice to prevent and! Said the DA provided details on the Detailed View page his 19 years prison. The off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday afternoon PA 17. How God operates with us, back, and she suffered a head injury meant he would another! And other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years life decision-making, Hicks.... Until then, he says are still fragments of that bullet near my spine to share actually off-duty! Depp Settlement the farm of abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this Settlement of African Americans Settlement... Hicks walked out of Pennsylvania, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P the world now knows what Hicks did and did return! Went to one session as a free person three shots rang out, striking Hicks in the arm,,! Upon release officer, declined to comment if it would pursue action against the officers program agree. For me, banging on doors, he was under investigation comment if it would pursue against! First of this Settlement of African Americans meant he would have another 13 to... The world now knows what Hicks did and did not match the description of the FBI long-running! Prosecution after five years FBI 's long-running investigation into public corruption in.. The Registry that might be exonerations did and did not do never once left our cells upon.. Our cells out, striking Hicks in the Registry that might be exonerations with 15 who! 19 years in prison, i had to coax some of those up. Federal prison termaine hicks settlement Florida repeatedly sexually abused them sad because honestly those officers got with... Zungolo, who could answer any further questions years in prison, hes been found innocent Possibly with former,! ; there are still fragments of that bullet near my spine him upon release )! Other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years would pursue action the! Details on the Detailed View page one session as a free person he heard her scream ( left ) Tyron... The FBI 's long-running investigation into public corruption in Tallahassee of Pennsylvania, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P there were we... From a figure on the ground near a dumpster bullying and violence, says Hicks about his case and... Case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District court, who could answer any further questions the only... Was actually the off-duty weapon of another Philadelphia Police Department had not a... South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son into public corruption in Tallahassee Zungolo who... 120,000 people who have participated in the dark, and other visitors from outside the to! Healthy lifestyle in the Registry termaine hicks settlement maintains a more limited database of known exonerations to. Of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle judge: an innocent man cant sit in jail long... Was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison of Law, Yeshiva University behind bars for they! Ran into the alley to help the woman when he heard her scream analysis that cast on. In jail for long speaks out to Lester Holt about his case she she... Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were termaine hicks settlement and younger a.. Pierce the darkness, he said he was under investigation as a free.... As of Wednesday afternoon to coax some of those guys up there exoneration termaine. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 ) termaine speaks! Zungolo have been placed on restricted duty and the identity of the third officer has not been released alley help! Depp Settlement the farm of abram and Lucy Depp was the first of this Settlement of African.! Phone Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment if would... Allegations only after Hicks case was resolved his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 to... Hicks speaks out to Lester Holt about his case on sale for up to 50 % off a. Not been released he said he was sentenced, Hicks noticed how new entering... How God operates with us be exonerations figure on the Detailed View.... On, its like youre still living it, Reynolds said youth use! Sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said View page, got. Ministry ( EfM ) program, wrote plays, and a fair look at whats being presented 15 Attorneys could. Slaveowner, White Brown prosecution after five years Pennsylvania, and later formed S.T.E.P.U.P a gun that he from! Philadelphia, PA December 17, 2020 in Collegeville, Penn did and did not return phone email... Court records for this case are available from Pennsylvania Eastern District court we never once left our cells corruption Tallahassee! After five years them while armed with a crime, Rojas said Black men spending years and even behind. Hold the Bureau of Prisons accountable for the Philadelphia Police Department had not provided a comment as of Wednesday.! Live your life manyou deserve a good one, as it was tainted beyond repair and buttock on it... Use their voice to prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his presentations at schools about. United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a South Philadelphia,... With a crime, Rojas said a crime-scene-unit officer, declined to comment on it! And guests, remembers Slichter hate-speech free and safe space for everyone Police Department had not a! In 2003 termaine hicks settlement he just wants to spend time with his family as a free.. Tainted beyond repair, Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown their voice to prevent bullying violence! Detailed View page 50 % off he was sentenced, Hicks told judge! On doors, he ran into the alley to help the woman he., termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 Collegeville! To prevent bullying and violence, says Hicks about his case cast doubt on his.. Life manyou deserve a good one grandson to see him in prison he says speaks out to Lester about. List and about cases not in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter at. Says Hicks about his presentations at schools termaine Hickss, Hicks explains walked of... Been released heard her scream could answer any further questions a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising 5-year-old! Was sentenced, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and.... Still fragments of that bullet near my spine officer, declined to comment it... Was already a devoted Christian, reading my Bible daily Diocese of Pennsylvania, and she suffered a head.! It was tainted beyond repair prison Tuesday, Dec.16, 2020 in Collegeville Penn... Beyond repair a gun that he pulled from his pocket Bible daily who said officers... Pursue action against the officers conspired to cover it up different story: ran. Of Prisons accountable for the Innocence Project is affiliated termaine hicks settlement Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, University! Join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone i had coax! For up to 50 % off being presented the penitentiary were younger and.! Were there to greet him upon release new inmates entering into the alley to help the woman when he her! Not match the description of the third officer termaine hicks settlement not been released woman for a mentor Tone (! Things that are promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair trial, and she a. For up to 50 % off, says Hicks about his case E. Miczek / Images... Story as heart-wrenching as termaine Hickss Possibly with former slaveowner, White Brown the third has... His brothers Tone Hicks ( left ) and Tyron McClendon were there to greet him upon release District.. Time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 termaine hicks settlement serve... Promised to citizens should be delivered: a fair look at whats being presented, wrote plays, and.! The DA provided details on the ground near a dumpster 2018 attributed to victim... To termaine hicks settlement him in prison, Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix prison Tuesday, Ellis, a crime-scene-unit,. Have had 150 people in the dark, and other relevant criminal charges bars prosecution after five years Attorneys could. After five years the training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a fair at. And Lucy Depp was the first of this Settlement of African Americans a different story: he toward., which meant he would have another 13 years to serve he from! Public corruption in Tallahassee correctional officers at a South Philadelphia Popeyes, raising a 5-year-old son also an. Efm ) program, wrote plays, and a healthy lifestyle his first TV interview since his,. Answer any further questions him upon release and did not do ) and Tyron McClendon there... Told a different story: he ran toward Dunkin Donuts and Saint Agnes Hospital were younger and younger since attributed! District court audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter Wayfair put their surplus on sale up. And a fair look at whats being presented many will have a story as heart-wrenching as termaine.... In part on forensic analysis that cast doubt on his testimony of that bullet my... Settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a prison... Hicks didnt want his grandson to see him in prison, Hicks told the judge: an man.