http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/...lottery_winner

BOSTON - The winner of a $1 million lottery scratch ticket may not be so lucky after all: He's a convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to gamble. Timothy Elliott faces a Dec. 7 court hearing over whether he violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the $800 Million Spectacular game at a supermarket in Hyannis.
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Elliott was placed on five years' probation after pleading guilty in October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a January 2006 heist at a bank on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, he "may not gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played."

Elliott, 55, has collected the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from the Massachusetts lottery commission. A picture of Elliott, holding his first check, was posted on the lottery's Web site Monday, though it was removed by Wednesday.

As part of his sentence, Elliott was put under the care of the state Mental Health Department and sent to a hospital for treatment, and state officials refused Wednesday to say whether he was still being treated.

A telephone number for Elliott could not immediately be located Wednesday, and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer.

The lottery routinely cross references the names of winners with the state Revenue Department to see if they owe back taxes or child support, lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld said. In those cases, winnings go straight to the Revenue Department.

But in this case, it will be up to the court to determine what will happen with Elliott's winnings.

"This is kind of new territory," he said.

that's how they end the article? wtf

Given your undertitle, you should be happy thay system is gone.

I thought this would bring up the question of whether the lottery is "gambling." But since the prohibition specifically says "no lottery," this is an open/shut case.

Give him the 50k/yr and have him deal with the violation of his probation.

I always wondered whatever happened to ZZ Top.

I agree. This would be the fairest way IMO.

You must know the story in Britain about the convicted rapist who bought a ticket whilst on day release and scooped the £7 million jackpot..sickening!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3554008.stm

edit: fixed

It seems to be the only way to do it. Unless ofcoruse there is a law that says he isnt allowed to profit from banned activities kinds of like murderers arent allowed to benefit financially from selling books about their crimes.

agree

it would seem if the lotto winnings were voided, previous felons who played the lotto and lost would have an argument that they deserve a refund on their losing tickets.

the state cant have it both ways and keep the money from purchased tickets in these cases and void the winnings if by chance one of these tickets wins.

Agreed, but the cynic in me can see the state somehow finding a way to keep it for themselves so they can re-allocate it in some ******ed fashion. It's found money to them.

Does Massachusetts have elected judges? Next campaign cycle...

"My opponent Judge Gutpaunch gave a convicted felon one Million dollars after he violated the terms of his parole!"

if someone's stupid enough to buy a lottery ticket... lottery is a good way for the idiots to provide funding, and if that involves taking advantage of said stupid people, well, keep it coming.

I don't really see how that is sickening atall tbh. He has a right to have money and do what he wants with it. I think it's just peoples pure jealousy that made that an issue.

so he's a convicted rapist. the law's taking care of him. stop your vigilante sort of justice by implying that because he's a convicted rapist that means nothing else good should happen to him.

Yeah, seriously, one of the most detrimental, for yourself things to do, while also being one of the best, for the commonwealth, things to do is banned for felons? That's not cool.

How arbitrary is it that he's banned from gambling for robbing banks? I mean why not bar him from drinking coffee or watching wheel of fortune.

The man probably has a gambling addiction and presented that to the court as the reason why he robbed the bank. Instead of just locking the man up the court tried to assist in his rehab.

Is this standard to not be able to buy lottery tickets as a felon? I've never heard anything like this before.

i think you nailed it.

You write like my textbooks

whey

Jay, 'sickening' was just a turn of phrase (i.e. why can't it happen to me', not that he doesn't 'deserve the money'.

As it happens though, I think rape is a disgusting crime and he should be penalised.
Imagine a rape victim wins the lottery next week. All is gravy yeah? No. She has such little-self esteem that no amount of money will make a difference to her life.

Not that this has anything to do with it but I just finished second in a Crypto donkament! Happy days!

Damn thought this was bbv4l!

I don't get it. In the first case quoted, that's like saying, "Bob was told he can't buy heroin, bought it from an undercover cop, and then wasn't given his money back." Of [censored] course not, it's not legal for him to engage in that activity. The offender knows it, the court knows it, where is the problem? It's much the same in the second case quoted. Who cares where the EV is between the convicted and the state? If someone not allowed to play the lottery buys a number, that should be all the better for the rest of the state/country, right?

Seriously, this all comes down to personal responsibility. You [censored] up and a consequence is not being allowed to gamble? That's your consequence. You [censored] up again by trying to gamble and then try to collect? That's your consequence.

They "deserve" a refund for being [censored] idiots? Last I checked, criminals gave up certain rights because... they're criminals. They don't earn or "deserve" refunds for breaking the terms of their imprisonment.

I'm using a lot of pejoratives here, but I can't even wrap my head around an argument stating that criminals, forbidden by law to gamble, should be repaid for their gambling losses.

Fair enough, but I remember the reaction of people at the time at that is what I was referring to mainly.

Obviously rape is a heinous crime - that's why he is in jail. You're point about the rape victim is very biased though. If a rapist wins the lottery a similar view can be expressed - he is still in jail for the crime he committed, he is still a disgusting rapist and no amount of money is going to change that. Also no-one except completely ******ed Daily Mail readers would say anything close to 'Imagine a rape victim wins the lottery next week. All is gravy yeah?' since its obviously completely detatched from the truth.