Champaign man convicted of 1988 rape leaves court a free man

URBANA – A Champaign man who's been locked up for more than four years, as the state attempted to have him declared sexually violent, walked out of the courthouse a free man Thursday.

Vincent Lipscomb, 39, hugged his attorney and smiled at his mother and other family members seconds after Champaign County Judge Harry Clem dismissed his case on the grounds that psychological experts can no longer say he's a risk to reoffend.

Also on this date

• 150th anniversary preparations for Champaign begin
• Man receives 7 years in prison for drunk driving accident that killed Gibson City woman
• Chimney fire briefly disrupts traffic on University Avenue
• State troopers to be out in force over the holiday
• Danville biofuels plant starting production process today
• Slow state payments prompt changes at Boys and Girls clubs
• School boards will have new faces in April
• Playboy visits UI for input on its new 'mobisode' series
• UI police determine man only had toy gun
• Obituaries

» More