On April 27, 2013, 42-year-old Christy Price was arrested in Champaign County, Illinois and charged with felony driving with a revoked license (DWRL).
In June 2014, she pled guilty under an agreement that called for a two-year prison sentence. However, when Price failed to show up for her sentencing hearing, an arrest warrant was issued.
In October 2014, she was arrested. On October 23, 2014, she was sentenced to two years in prison. She was released on parole on September 16, 2016.
In 2022, Price pled guilty in Ford County, Illinois to another charge of felony DWRL and an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance. She was sentenced to four years in prison.
On January 17, 2025, Price filed a petition for post-conviction relief, contending that her 2013 DWRL charge should have been a misdemeanor, not a felony. She noted that under Illinois law, DWRL is a misdemeanor charge for the first and second offenses, and that it is only a felony charge upon the third offense. She said her 2014 DWRL conviction was for her first such offense.
On January 25, 2025, a Champaign County Circuit Court Judge vacated her 2014 DWRL conviction and dismissed the case.
In March 2025, the 2014 case was expunged. Price subsequently filed a petition for a certificate of innocence. On May 8, 2025, Champaign County Chief Circuit Judge Randall Rosenbaum granted the petition.
The judge issued a ruling saying: “The following facts have been proven by a preponderance of the evidence: Defendant was convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison. The judgment has been vacated. Defendant is innocent of the felony charge for which she served prison time. Defendant did not by her own conduct bring about her conviction. This matter has already been expunged.”
Price then filed a claim for compensation from the state of Illinois, citing 694 days of incarceration. In February 2026, the Illinois Court of Claims awarded Price $65,000.
– Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 07-31-2026
