A Cook County mother of five left Saturday’s Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo in tears after all charges against her were dismissed, ending a 12-year-long suspension of her driver’s license.Calanthea Caldwell, 36, is an operating room technician at Rush University Medical Center. Her license was first suspended in 2014 when she got a ticket for driving without insurance. Since then, she’s accumulated additional violations, including for failure to appear in court and other minor traffic tickets.Without a valid license, Caldwell says she has been spending nearly $80 a day on Uber rides to get herself and her children to work and school.“I’m crying tears of joy because I’ve waited years to get my license back,” Caldwell said. “I’m racking up more debt than I’m able to pay working one job.”The Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo provides Cook County residents with free legal assistance to help restore suspended or revoked Illinois driver’s licenses. Saturday’s event was hosted by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council at Malcolm X College.The event partners with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, the Cook County public defender’s office, judges, and pro bono attorneys to create a one-stop shop for residents seeking relief. Nearly 500 people registered to attend, and there were many other walk-ins.Expo founder Alex Garcia said the event is held annually during Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month to support Black and Brown communities that are disproportionately impacted by license suspensions. Alex Garcia, founder of the Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo, says Pilsen Neighbors Community Council has…
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