John,

In 2001, I was walking back home in my Philadelphia neighborhood when I heard a woman screaming for help. When I got to the alley where she had been dragged to, I saw that she had been attacked and was badly injured. I was reaching for my phone to call 911 when the police arrived, responding to neighbors’ calls. They shot me three times in the back. After they realized I was unarmed and didn’t match the description of the attacker, the Philadelphia police embarked on a massive cover-up of their mistake. At my trial, multiple officers lied under oath, and I was wrongly convicted of attacking the woman I tried to help.

I ended up spending 19 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, until I was finally exonerated in 2020 thanks to the help of the Innocence Project team. Now, I want to share my story and my experiences with others to help raise awareness about the flaws and injustices in our criminal legal system.

That’s why I’m so glad to be one of the exonerees who is able to share their story through the Innocence Project’s Speakers Bureau. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to some amazing people and help open their eyes to the realities of wrongful conviction and gun violence. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, take a moment to learn more about the program, and then book me or another exoneree or expert to come speak at your event.

Despite the injustices I experienced, I’ve always been optimistic about my future. Life has a way of turning lemons into lemonade. The challenges I have faced in my life are not dissimilar to those our youth are facing today — like gun violence. Most people can’t identify with their pain; I can. As a survivor of gun violence and watching peers being bullied, I’ve made it my life’s mission to bring awareness to these issues.

Take a look at the Innocence Project’s Speakers Bureau today, and let me share what I’ve learned with you.

Thank you so much,

Termaine Hicks
Exonerated in 2020
Innocence Project