The incident occurred around 5 a.m. on that day, when the recording was played from a loudspeaker for an hour, alarming residents and prompting concerns for safety.

A federal judge has ordered attorneys representing Termaine Hicks, a man wrongfully convicted of sexual assault, to apologize to South Philadelphia residents after a loud recording of a woman's scream disturbed the neighborhood.

U.S. District Judge John F. Murphy criticized the sound test conducted on September 23, 2024, for lacking foresight and creating a 'deeply disturbing and potentially dangerous situation' for local residents.

Residents initially feared a real crime was taking place, leading to immediate confusion and distress, particularly among families living near a daycare center.

Rachel Robbins, a local resident, expressed that the screaming sound was retraumatizing for individuals in the neighborhood who had previously experienced violent crime.

This lawsuit stems from Hicks' wrongful conviction for sexual assault, which led to his imprisonment for 19 years before DNA evidence exonerated him in 2020.

Judge Murphy emphasized that the attorneys' actions fell short of the ethical standards expected from legal professionals, potentially undermining public confidence in the justice system.

The attorneys admitted they failed to consider the impact of the test on the community and did not notify residents beforehand, which Judge Murphy emphasized as a significant oversight.

The lawyers have until the end of October to provide both in-person and written apologies to the affected residents, as mandated by the judge.

City Solicitor Renee Garcia acknowledged the city's limited control over the testing conditions and apologized to the community, noting that better planning should have been ensured.

The sound test was part of Hicks' civil rights lawsuit against the city, aimed at verifying claims that he could have heard the screams of the victim from two blocks away during the incident in 2001.

The law firm representing Hicks issued a statement expressing regret for any harm caused during the test and apologized to the community for the distress it created.