A former Muddy Creek Township secretary who is in prison for writing herself unauthorized checks is asking the courts to withdraw her guilty plea and have a trial.

Dixie Christy, 39, of Cherry Township claims "a manifest injustice would occur if she was not permitted to withdraw her guilty plea," according to a court request filed today.

Christy in March pleaded guilty to 103 counts of forgery and one count of felony theft.

Butler County Judge William Shaffer on July 6 sentenced Christy to serve 9 to 18 months in the county jail, serve 10 years of county probation and pay nearly $180,000 in restitution.

"I always felt she should fight these charges," said Christy's defense attorney Michael Frisk.

Christy entered her plea under "undue pressures" of financial concerns and fear for her family, Frisk said. Therefore, her court request claims, the plea was not voluntary, a requirement of the law.

Frisk earlier said the checks in question in this case were paid to Christy to cover overtime accrued helping organize a new township office. Frisk said the checks were always endorsed by one of the three township superiors, and his client paid taxes on them.

Township officials and prosecutors have disputed Christy's claim, saying she was instructed to do those chores during her regular workweek.

Instead, officials said Christy had written herself $142,000 in unauthorized pay.