Timothy Elliott may just be the unluckiest lottery winner. He beat the odds of 1 in 1,247,400 to win $1 million in a scratch ticket, but he won't beat the odd of getting busted.
See, Elliott is still on probation for two bank robberies. And the terms of his probation clearly stated: no gambling!
And of course, there are opposing views about this:
"That's absurd!" said Edina Russ, of Yarmouthport. "Whatever he had done in the past has nothing to do with his life today. He didn't steal that ticket. That's his money."
But John Derendinger Jr. of Hyannis said fair is fair.
"If he's on probation, then he shouldn't gamble as a violation of probation," said Derendinger, who was ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. "And he shouldn't be able to get the winnings."
What do you think? Should they let the dude keep the winnings? Or bust his butt back to jail for violating his probation?
i'd say: send him to jail but give him the winnings - put them on a bank account so they can grow meanwhile
While I don't the specifics of his probation rules, unless there is a specific restriction against state sanctioned games of chance, I would let him keep the winnings.
Of course, the state should use the money to make restitution to his victims and reimburse themselves for the cost of his incarceration and probation monitoring.
a rule of his probation, but if he won the
lottery without violating the rules of the
lottery then he's entitled to the money.
Guess what, pal. You stole. You are a thief. You don't get to win the money. You get to go back to jail, because you obviously still cant follow the rules.
Next!
At least Massachusetts has the cojones to admit it's gambling. It never ceases to amuse me when states hold lotteries, but make "gambling" illegal.
So, the obvious answer is go back to jail and keep the money too.
I find it bizarre that people think he should have the money taken off him because he has committed a prior criminal act which he has already served time for.
But... by the law, if the lottery was "GAMBLING", then how could it be legal in states where gambling was illegal?
I think he should get to keep the money, since if the state can consider the lotters 'not gambling' by virtue of doing it while gabling is illegal, then the state's people should be bound (or freed) by the same law.
This is just an attempt by the local government to not have to pay a winner, it seems.
Either way it is a reprehensible institution.
Do not send him back to jail, we have enough people in jail and we shouldn't incarcerate someone who is unlikely to commit a crime.
If you have ever had any dealing with our justice system, you learn that the 'easy' solution is rarely the best one.
Plus redphone, are children really allowed buy lottery tickets there?! I think you have to be 16 to buy a lottery ticket here, 18 for scratch cards.
If a teenager pulls a slot machine and wins, I don't think he is legally entitled to anything except whatever penalty applies. The same concept applies here.
@Randall: I think repeat offenders are quite likely to keep offending. He obviously hasn't learned any lesson.
But, I see no reason he should be deprived of the winnings. At least when he gets out he will have some money, should help reduce recidivism. I doubt that there is anything in the lottery rules about being forbidden to play due to probation causing forfeiture of the winnings.
Guy breaks probabtion, so back to jail.
Guy wins the lottery, how exactly is that nayone elses business?
See it can be both, he goes back to prison and when he gets out his money is still waitning there in his bank account.
You can't go around writing special circumstance laws on a whim.
We had one in the UK where a rapist won the lottery and the usual clowns were up in arms about it.
If you take it off him then who next?
Jay walkers? Speeders? poor people? Black people? the homeless? Atheists?
There should be no talk of "allowing" hm to keep the money,. If you have a lottery it is just that.
2. No money for him.
3. Impeach the judge who gave him probation after 2 bank robberies.
4. Ban scratch-off lotteries. The instant gratification leads some people to addiction, and slows the line at 7-11.
5. This line is intentionally blank.
I do not believe a clerk or a dispensing machine would fall into the "near occasion of sin" and lead the parolee even to a gambling parlor. Added to that, since the odds are so high, one rarely presumes to even win.
As someone said, maybe the good Lord gave this parolee a chance to do good.
Let him keep it.
I don't see the state giving him back the dollar if he lost.