Hairstylists at war over $9.5m lottery fortune

A hairstylist in Indiana who bought a winning lottery ticket good for $9.5 million has claimed that she bought that particular ticket for herself and not in an office pool and is fighting to keep the entire sum.

Hairstylist Christina Shaw has maintained her winning February 16 Hoosier Lotto drawings was one she bought herself, but the seven hairstylists who went in on the office pool are demanding their shares of the prize money.

The women - save Shaw - appeared in court Wednesday, testifying that Shaw bought the ticket at the same time and place she bought those for the pool - something they said they had all agreed not to do.

Seven hairstylists who participated in a lottery pool at the salon where they all worked testified at a court hearing Wednesday that a co-worker claimed the winning ticket despite their agreement to equally share any prizes they won

Marion County Judge Heather Welch said she will decide by Friday whether to freeze the jackpot until the dispute over the ticket is settled.

Lucy Lewis Johnston, who owns Lou's Creative Styles, said buying a personal ticket with pool tickets would make it impossible 'to determine which was whose ticket.'

Hairstylist Linda Sue Stewart said that's why they had all agreed that any such tickets 'were all considered part of the pool.'

A parade of current and former salon employees all testified to the agreement and said all of the women who played the lottery - including Shaw - knew the rules.

Shaw did not attend the hearing, and her attoey didn't take part. Wednesday's hearing dealt solely with whether the $9.5 million payout should be frozen until the court can determine to whom the winning ticket actually belongs.

Welch issued a temporary restraining order last week barring the Hoosier Lottery Commission from awarding the prize money to Shaw for 10 days.

The lottery commission isn't opposing the proposed injunction.

Kent Smith, attoey for Christina Shaw, talks to the media outside Marion County Supreme Court today

Christina Shaw, pictured, claims that she bought the winning ticket for herself and was separate from the pool tickets she purchased

Bryan Corbin, a spokesman for the Indiana Attoey General's Office, which represents the commission, said the agency 'takes no position on the preliminary injunction or on the merits of the dispute between the stylists.

The commission's only interest is in paying the proper claimant. The ticket-ownership decision is solely up to the court to determine, not the commission, which does not have the authority to decide ownership.'

A lottery spokesman didn't immediately retu a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The women filed into the elevator outside the courtroom without talking to reporters.

Attoey Scott Montross, who represents the hairstylists fighting for a share of the prize, told reporters after the hourlong hearing that his clients were more hurt than angry.

'They're disappointed that it came to this,' Montross said. 'They're much more disappointed than they are angry.'