Watsons role in the case was not clear, and he was not called to testify. All three shots struck Hicks from behind, yet Vinson said he was forced to fire because Hicks was lunging at him. Termaine Hicks, Shot in the Back by Philadelphia Police, Is 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. It was in such a group at the State Correctional InstitutionGraterford, a maximum-security prison in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, that EfM group leader Ginny Slichter met Termaine Hicks for the first time. Hicks said the officer shot him in the back as he was reaching into his pocket for his phone to call 911. 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 they covered it up, he was wrongly convicted of attacking her. Though EfM groups commonly gather in parish buildings, some convene in prisons. Im just sad because honestly those officers got away with a crime, Rojas said. We dont ask the men what theyre in for, Slichter says. Hicks lawyers alleged that the cover-up went beyond the three officers. Judges denied Hickss requests for a new trial until this year. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office recently concluded much of the testimony against Hicks was false.Dec. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. I was replacing my beloved EfM predecessor, Dennis Warner, who had died recently of a brain tumor in the prime of his life. Now a free man, He was exonerated after 19 years. The world now knows what Hicks did and did not do. 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. Mr. Hicks was exonerated after the Philadelphia Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), led by Patricia Cummings, joined the Innocence Projects motion to vacate his conviction. 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. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. As he reached for his cell phone to call 911, two police officers ran to the scene. 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. Three Philadelphia police officers have been reassigned pending an internal investigation into the arrest of Termaine Joseph Hicks, who was cleared of a 2001 rape last week after spending 19 years in prison. Those cases have led to more than a dozen exonerations in recent years and have cost the city more than $35 million since 2018. Cummings said Philadelphia prosecutors would not attempt to retry the tainted case. 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. Inmates were sick, some were dying. During his 19 years in prison, Hicks noticed how new inmates entering into the penitentiary were younger and younger. Its unfortunate and sad that it took how long it took for me to clear my name.. A reporter at the Inquirer since 2013, I cover issues of identity, race, social justice, as well as prisons and the legal system. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Hicks says, In the judicial system, theres something called finality that is very hard to overcome.. 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. December can be a busy month for exonerations, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to wrap up cases before the end of the year. It was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his appellate rights, which meant he would have another 13 years to serve. Many will have a tale of transformation to share. Mr. 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. The other guys on the [cell] block were shouting. 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. His brother Tone The training also emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. We need a whole new system.. EfM gave me the skills, and this is my gift back to the world. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. CIU chief Patricia Cummings said her office would not retry the case, as it was tainted beyond repair. Dennis Zungolo. 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. Termaine Hicks was released from SCI Phoenix on Dec. 16 after 19 years in prison. 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. 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.. She noted that the gun was smeared with blood, while the inside of Hicks coat pocket was clean. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Police Perjury Led To Wrongful Conviction. The United States has settled a lawsuit with 15 women who said correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them. Everything slowed down, says Hicks. Then I was invited to EfM by an usher in the church. The conviction was vacated, and the charge dismissed. Only after did they realize their mistake Mr. Hicks was not the right person. Joint Stipulation of Mr. Hicks and the Commonwealth. 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 Vinson, most recently assigned to the Third Police District, has not responded to requests for comment. California residents do not sell my data request. Sometimes it comes out in the spiritual autobiography, but we dont ask. 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. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12.5 to 25 years in prison. 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. 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. 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. Before finalizing the decision to drop charges, she consulted with the victims family. He was convicted and served 19 years in State Correctional Institution Phoenix, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Then a 26-year-old father of one, Mr. Hicks had been The cover up of shooting an innocent man required the false testimony of three officers and the acquiescence of a dozen more. Termaine Joseph Hicks exonerated after 19 years in prison - Inquirer In fact, the gun was registered as the off-duty weapon of another uniformed Philadelphia police officer. She tried to get gas. He wrote 12 plays and musicals while in prison and, now that hes free, he hopes to eventually produce and direct plays. We must have had 150 people in the audience, both inmates and guests, remembers Slichter. I was writing Christian plays, engaged in independent study, and searching Scripture. 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. The latest Tweets from Termaine Hicks (@TermaineHicks). He served 19 years in prison. But, seconds later, police officers arrived, took him for the rapist and shot him three times. 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. | Editorial, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation, St. Pete womans dream home turns into a nightmare after she finds code violation, DeSantis, GOP lawmakers pursue efforts to weaken news media protections, Florida man paralyzed by officer who mistook gun for Taser sues, Explosive found on Florida-bound Allegiant flight, man arrested, States move to crack down on nurses with bogus diplomas from Florida schools, correctional officers at a federal prison in Florida repeatedly sexually abused them, Florida teen charged as adult in rigged homecoming election. Importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle not do the back as he was sentenced to to. Tweets from termaine Hicks was false.Dec it was 2012 by the time Hicks withdrew his rights! 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