The trial of Eddie Tipton, a convicted man who tried to scheme the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) for $16.5million has been moved outside of central Iowa for extreme media coverage. According to the judge’s decision, the language used in the articles can affect the jury’s’ views of Tipton.
Tipton, former information security director for the MUSL, had already been convicted to ten years in state prison for his felonies, yet he had a pending appeal because his attorney assured his conviction was based on uncertain evidence and speculation.
The now 52-year-old man was also charged with subsequent crimes after his conviction, involving money laundering and ongoing criminal conduct since there were other tainted lottery drawings connected to him in several states.
The Iowa press has covered the case with extreme detail since its beginning, but now Judge Bradley McCall has decided to move Tipton’s trial outside of central Iowa. Alleging the defense is concerned about the verbal classification the media gives to Tipton.
It has been pointed out that media sources such as the Des Moines Register, KCCI Channel 8 and WHO-TV have issued articles and news reports on the defendant that damage the view of his case.
Tipton’s lawyer issued a 500-page report of news and articles about his client, while arguing that the jury would be influenced by the news and the case against the defendant will have a view of him as a “scammer” as the Des Moines Register reports.
“As pointed out by Tipton, a significant number of articles published since Tipton’s first trial have used less than neutral verbiage in describing the pending charges against him,” wrote Judge McCall.
Tipton’s case
Eddie Raymond Tipton was the information security director of the MUSL and on December 29, 2010, Tipton tried to claim the $16.5 million prize with the help of associates and an anonymous trust company in Belize.
MUSL employers are not allowed to participate in Lottery games since it would be unfair. Tipton managed to install a rootkit on the random number generator computer at the association to then purchase a ticket with the rigged numbers.
The Iowa Lottery rejected the claim since it didn’t accept anonymous claims and the validation code of the ticket was not correct. Investigations on the matter resulted in a surveillance video showing a hooded Tipton purchasing a lottery ticket.
On July 20, 2015, Tipton was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the rescheduled date and location for the defendant’s appeal is yet to be set by the judge.
Source: Des Moines