John Wiley Price

Price was born on April 24, 1950, in San Augustine County, Texas and grew up in the small town of Forney in Kaufman County with his siblings Holman Earl, Shotzie, Vanessa, Renee and Kelvin.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-politics/2011/04/16/john-wiley-price-recalls-his-early-years-and-first-venture-into-politics|title=John Wiley Price recalls his early years and first venture into politics|date=17 April 2011}} He attended the town's schools, and has throughout his speaking career spoke of the desegregation experience there. Price's father, Rev. Holman Colman Price worked as a truck driver and built a small career as a part-time Baptist preacher, which afforded Willie Faye McCoy Price,{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?pid=142331719|title=Willie Price Obituary (2010) the Dallas Morning News|website=Legacy.com}} a homemaker's career.

After Price graduated from high school, he moved to Dallas, where he attended El Centro College and studied computer programming.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1991/march/the-hustler-john-wiley-price/2/|title = The Hustler: John Wiley Price}} In the 1970s, Price married Vivian Pauline née Salinas Price in his father's chapel; the couple had one child together. In 1972, he ran for his first political office as chair of his Dallas Precinct. After winning, in the latter part of 1973, at the age of 23 Price was appointed to his first civic position on the advisory board of Crossroads Community Center near Fair Park. On December 1, 1975, Price would be appointed as Chief Clerk for Judge Cleo Steele.

He would later divorce his wife in 1983. Price adopted two children, John Nicholas and Angelina Monique.

Price has aroused local controversy during his time in office. During the 1980s and 1990s Price would lead protests for racial issues in the Dallas area. In the spring of 1990 Price threatened a citywide “call to arms” if the city manager did not pick someone sensitive to minorities for a new police chief. Price was quoted in the paper as saying “M-16's and all, we will take to the (expletive) street, we'll shoot at (expletive) police cars.” Soon after that he got into a fight with an off-duty policeman who was jogging by Price's home. The officer yelled “Wiley sucks!”. Price then pulled out a gun and allegedly stuck it against the officer's head.{{cite news| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pisEAAAAMBAJ&q=john+wiley+price&pg=PA141 | title=The Ghosts of Freedmen |author=Dana Rubin |date=1991-07-01 |publisher=Texas Monthly Magazine |accessdate=2014-07-22}} In 1991 during a protest, Price was accused of breaking the ankle of a construction worker. In May 1992, Price was found not guilty of felony assault charges from the incident. The verdict was rendered just days after the Rodney King riots in the Los Angeles area, and several jurors reported to have received threatening phones calls during the trial.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/12/us/black-dallas-official-is-acquitted-in-tense-trial-on-assault-charge.html | work=The New York Times | first=Roberto | last=Suro | title=Black Dallas Official Is Acquitted In Tense Trial on Assault Charge | date=1992-05-12}}

It was during the early 1990s that Price, who hosted his own radio show called "Talk Back, Liberation Radio" on KKDA (AM), developed a relationship with Aaron Michaels, who worked for Price as a producer. Price's radical black politics were highly influential on Michaels. Price had Michaels create a militant group called "The Warriors" who acted as security for Price. This group later formed the nucleus of the Dallas chapter of the New Black Panther Party, founded by Michaels.{{cite journal |last1=Musgrove |first1=George Derek |date=2019 |title="There Is No New Black Panther Party": The Panther-Like Formations and the Black Power Resurgence of the 1990s |journal=The Journal of African American History |volume=104 |issue=4 |pages= 619–656|doi=10.1086/705022 |doi-access=free }}

Price again made headlines when he launched a profanity-laced tirade at a December 2009 Dallas County Commissioner's Court meeting over the ongoing investigation of impropriety among Dallas Constables. Price repeatedly pounded on the desk in front of him and responded to a call from County Judge Jim Foster for order by declaring that Foster should "Make me come to order!" {{cite web |url=http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/12/update-dallas-commissioner-joh.html |title=UPDATE: Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price: "Make me come to Order!" |author=Krause, Kevin |date=2009-12-01 |publisher=The Dallas Morning News |accessdate=2011-02-19 |archive-date=2011-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708222056/http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/12/update-dallas-commissioner-joh.html |url-status=dead }}

In February 2011 Price got into a shouting match with Dallas lawyer Jeff Turner at a Dallas county commissioner's meeting. Turner repeatedly called Price a 'Chief Mullah' and 'tribal', terms that Price took offense to and led him to ask Turner to speak to him in private. Price later stated that he interpreted "Mullah" as "Moolah", similar to the racial epithet "Moulie". The public confrontation resulted in a shouting match before Price asked out loud why all the speakers were white. When an audience member shouted, "You’ve asked respect of us. We demand respect from you," Price said "All of you are white. Go to hell". Price then headed for the exit and challenged the protesters to follow him and continue the discussion outside. At this point security personnel ordered the court to be cleared.{{cite web |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20110215-shouting-match-between-speakers-john-wiley-price-shuts-down-dallas-county-commissioners-court.ece |title=John Wiley Price tells residents to 'go to hell' in heated exchange |author=Krause, Kevin |date=2011-02-15 |publisher=The Dallas Morning News |accessdate=2011-02-19}}

In August 2011, Price appears to assault a reporter on video outside of a county office. Later Price is heard on tape threatening to assault the reporter.

{{cite web |url=http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/WFAA-Reporter-shoved-by--127463258.html |title=WFAA reporter shoved by Commissioner Price |author=Byron Harris |date=2011-08-10 |publisher=WFAA TV |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728001100/http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/WFAA-Reporter-shoved-by--127463258.html |archivedate=2014-07-28 }}

In July 2011, Price and multiple associates were served with search warrants obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation arising out of acts of alleged public corruption. The warrant on Price's residence specified a search for data related to violations of the U.S. Code Titles 18, 26, or 31, specifically "Theft or Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds," tax evasion, fraud, false statements, money laundering, and "aiding and abetting and conspiracy to violate these statutes."[http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/JWP+Search+Warrant.pdf Search warrant, Case Number 3-11-MJ-311, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729110828/http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/JWP+Search+Warrant.pdf |date=2014-07-29 }}: "Fraud and False Statements," "Structuring Transactions to Evade Reporting Requirements," "Laundering of Money Instruments," or "Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived From Specified Unlawful Activity," and "aiding and abetting and conspiracy to violate these statutes and to defraud the United States." The FBI seized multiple assets belonging to Price.{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/John-Wiley-Price-Search-Warrant-Released-125157374.html |title=John Wiley Price Search Warrant Released |publisher=NBC |accessdate=2011-07-12}} According to Federal sources, Price was arrested by the FBI on Friday, July 25, 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.wfaa.com/video?id=267549761&sec=591017 |title=Federal sources: Commissioner John Wiley Price arrested by FBI |publisher=WFAA.com |accessdate=2014-07-25}} His trial had been scheduled for January 2016 and he was ordered to contribute $80,000 towards his own defense.{{Cite web |url=http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/taxpayers-to-foot-the-bill-for-dallas-county-commissioner-john-wiley-price.html/ |title=Taxpayers to foot the bill for Commissioner John Wiley Price's defense in corruption case | Dallas Morning News |access-date=2015-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307114806/http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/taxpayers-to-foot-the-bill-for-dallas-county-commissioner-john-wiley-price.html/ |archive-date=2015-03-07 |url-status=dead }}

U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn granted a lengthy postponement for Price's trial on charges of corruption. Price's trial was set to begin January 19, 2016 more than a year after his first appearance in the case on July 24, 2014, with the earliest the trial could begin being September 6, 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/john-wiley-price-locks-in-2016-election-eligibility-7734815|title = John Wiley Price Locks in 2016 Election Eligibility}} On June 24, 2016, U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn pushed the trial date back to February 21, 2017, due to the amount of evidence the government accumulated, 9.2 terabytes worth, and the time needed for the defense to sort through it all.{{cite news|last1=Trahan|first1=Jason|title=John Wiley Price corruption trial delayed until 2017|url=http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/investigates/john-wiley-price-corruption-trial-delayed-until-feb-2017/257300094|accessdate=14 July 2016|agency=WFAA|date=June 27, 2016|archive-date=30 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630132216/http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/investigates/john-wiley-price-corruption-trial-delayed-until-feb-2017/257300094|url-status=dead}}

John Wiley Price pleaded not guilty on Thursday, February 23, 2017. The trial then began on Monday, February 27.{{cite news|last1=Trahan|first1=Jason|title=John Wiley Price pleads 'not guilty' to massive bribery indictment|url=http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/john-wiley-price-trial/john-wiley-price-pleads-not-guilty-to-massive-bribery-indictment/413370300|accessdate=24 February 2017|archive-date=24 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224053510/http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/john-wiley-price-trial/john-wiley-price-pleads-not-guilty-to-massive-bribery-indictment/413370300|url-status=dead}}

On April 28, 2017, a jury found Price not guilty on several of the charges, and failed to reach a verdict on one count. On May 19, 2017, the United States Attorney's Office announced it would not continue the prosecution of Commissioner Price as it pertained to the remaining count.{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Naomi|last2=Jeffers Jr.|first2=Gromer|title=John Wiley Price won't be retried, feds announce|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-county/2017/05/19/john-wiley-price-retried-feds-announce|accessdate=22 June 2017}}

Commissioner Price was represented by Shirley Baccus-Lobel and Chris Knox.

On February 22, 2016, Price was involved in a melee with Dwaine Caraway, in which he is accused of choking a Caraway campaign staffer, at the gospel radio station KHVN Heaven 97.{{Cite web|title = FOOLYWANG MATERIAL: Texas Politicians FIGHT Inside A GOSPEL Radio Station, "You F*CKED My Wife!" {{!}} The Young, Black, and Fabulous®|url = http://m.theybf.com/2016/02/23/foolywang-material-texas-politicians-rumble-inside-a-gospel-radio-station-%E2%80%9Cyou-fcked-my|website = m.theybf.com|access-date = 2016-02-24}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

A school constructed in a village in Kenya was named after John Wiley Price.{{cite web |url=http://www.buildafricanschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:john-wiley-price&catid=1:schools&Itemid=3 |title=John Wiley Price School |publisher=Build African Schools |accessdate=2011-02-19 |archive-date=2011-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725104558/http://www.buildafricanschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:john-wiley-price&catid=1:schools&Itemid=3 |url-status=dead }} The school was a project of the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Build African Schools, which also electrifies and provides computers to schools on that continentBuild African Schools. [http://www.buildafricanschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2 "Our Mission."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812172441/http://buildafricanschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2 |date=2013-08-12 }} Build African Schools. Accessed 4 July 2013. and named this particular school after Price at the behest of contributor Russell Fish, a Dallas-area computer entrepreneur.Robert Wilonsky. [http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/03/commissioner_price_youve_been.php John Wiley Price, You've Been Schooled." Unfair Park (blog of Dallas Observer). March 21, 2008.]

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.johnwileyprice.com/index.html}}
• [https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_529-kh0dv1dz0d Speech by John Wiley Price] at the annual region 7 conference of the National Association of Black Journalists on KUT's "In Black America" radio series, April 1, 1998, at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, John Wiley}}

Category:Living people

Category:African-American people in Texas politics

Category:County commissioners in Texas

Category:People from Forney, Texas

Category:Politicians from Dallas

Category:1950 births

Category:21st-century African-American people

Category:20th-century African-American people