The 61-year-old civil rights activist was arrested in March while trying to obtain her aunt's medical file at an Alabama hospital. A judge has suspended her 10-day sentence, pending appeal.
The former alderman says she hopes her ordeal can shed light on issues of fair treatment for the elderly.
"It's bigger than me. Of course, they offered to drop all charges to make it go away, but it's bigger than that. It's about what happens to seniors…[people] treat them any kind of way," she said.
Tillman plans a circuit court appeal and says she expects to win.
