Nashua, n.h.
A judge in Nashua heard arguments on Tuesday from the woman’s lawyers, who say her privacy interests outweigh what the state says is the public’s right to know who won the money in the nation’s eighth-largest lottery jackpot.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe, signed the ticket following the Jan. 6 drawing, but later learned from a lawyer that she could have shielded her identity by writing the name of a trust.
Outside the court, both sides seemed to agree the money could be transferred in the coming days into a trust the woman has set up — the Good Karma Family Trust of 2018.
Her lawyers claim the delay in payment was costing her about $14,000 a day, or about $500,000 a month, in interest, and have filed a separate motion with the court to release the money.
“This money is just sitting there doing nothing for nobody,” said William Shaheen, one of the woman’s lawyers. “It’s very important that we redeem this ticket and she gets on with her life.”
New Hampshire Lottery Executive Director Charlie McIntyre said he was inclined to honor the woman’s request, saying it was a separate issue from whether to reveal her name and address.
“We don’t want to be in a position that is adversarial with our prize winners. These are our customers,” McIntyre said.
Lawyers for the woman contend that she already was experiencing stress over the prospect of having to go public and that disclosing her identify would put her safety at risk.