A judge Wednesday refused to dismiss a lawsuit by a group of Englewood hospital workers who claim they were cheated out of a $25 million lottery prize. Superior Court Judge Marguerite Simon said even though the workers have not established any direct proof that they were wronged, there was enough circumstantial evidence to continue the case.
The 20 workers claim a colleague, Jamal Townes, bought the ticket with money from an office lottery pool but gave it to Teri and Cornell Davis of Englewood, N.J., to avoid paying them their share.
The judge's decision means that the three-day-old trial to decide who gets the jackpot will continue next week, when the Davises, who say they bought the ticket themselves, are expected to testify.
"I feel the judge has been fair all along," Teri Davis told The Record of Hackensack. "I'm very confident we will win."
Simon, while rejecting the motion Wednesday, gave several examples of evidence that at least raises the possibility of a conspiracy. She pointed to testimony that Townes claimed to have bought a losing ticket for the lottery pool but never produced it despite numerous requests from the workers at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and the state.
The trial resumes Monday.
All they have to do is compare what time the winning ticket was purchased to the groups lossing tickets.