Lawsuit over Million-Dollar Lottery Prize Settled in White County Court
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 30, 2012
A settlement has been reached in a 16-month-long legal battle over a million-dollar Arkansas lottery ticket.
That's according to Jimmy Simpson, an attorney for defendant Sharon Jones.
Jones and Sharon Duncan had laid claim to the ticket that was sold in July 2011 at the Super 1 Stop in Beebe.
Jones found the ticket in the trash that Duncan said she had bought but threw away because the ticket scanner showed it not to be a winner.
Jones claimed the prize, which amounted to $680,000 after taxes. She said she had spent about $190,000 of the money, leaving about $490,000.
Duncan sued Jones after she claimed the prize and the legal fight had dragged on since then. Duncan won the first round of the battle when a judge ruled the ticket belonged to her.
That ruling was later overturned and the case headed for trial.
A jury was seated today but the settlement was announced before they heard any testimony in the case.
Simpson says details about how the money was divided were sealed by the court but said his client was happy with the outcome.
That's according to Jimmy Simpson, an attorney for defendant Sharon Jones.
Jones and Sharon Duncan had laid claim to the ticket that was sold in July 2011 at the Super 1 Stop in Beebe.
Jones found the ticket in the trash that Duncan said she had bought but threw away because the ticket scanner showed it not to be a winner.
Jones claimed the prize, which amounted to $680,000 after taxes. She said she had spent about $190,000 of the money, leaving about $490,000.
Duncan sued Jones after she claimed the prize and the legal fight had dragged on since then. Duncan won the first round of the battle when a judge ruled the ticket belonged to her.
That ruling was later overturned and the case headed for trial.
A jury was seated today but the settlement was announced before they heard any testimony in the case.
Simpson says details about how the money was divided were sealed by the court but said his client was happy with the outcome.
