Alice Walton’s DUI Case And Controversy Around It
Chances are you know who Alice Walton is. After all, she is one of the richest people in the entire country with estimated worth of 27 billion dollars. Alice is an heiress to Walmart and, just like many other rich people, she, at times, feels that there is nothing improper for her. She was already caught driving while intoxicated back in the 2011.
Alice Walton was arrested in Texas, on the day of her 62nd birthday. She was allegedly speeding and going 71mph in a construction zone, whereas the limit was 55mph. The law enforcement officer used field sobriety tests and determined that Alice was in fact driving under the influence of alcohol. However, she refused to submit herself to breath tests. She was arrested and soon after released on a $1000 bail. Two years followed and recently all charges have been dropped. Why is that? Why did it take so much time for prosecutors to handle the case?
It does not come as a surprise that people like Alice Walton consider themselves as privileged members of the society. They will use all of their wealth and all of their influence to make sure that their reputation will remain intact. Sure enough, Alice probably had an army of professional legal representatives, who were actively working on the case, going through all the available evidence and dealing with the prosecution behind curtains.
One of main reasons why prosecutors could not build a solid case against Alice Walton is the absence of the key witness. That is right – the state trooper, who pulled her over and made her submit herself to field sobriety tests, was in the paid leave. It turns out that he was discharged for misconduct after an internal investigation. Without him and his statement there could be no solid case, since there was no other evidence that would point out at the fact that Walton was driving under the influence of alcohol.
There is yet another shady matter – in most cases, if a person refuses to submit to breath tests, law enforcement officers have a legal right to get a warrant for obligatory test. Nevertheless, no warrant was issued and it makes you wonder why. Most people consider that it is because of Walton’s wealth and influence, which is also the reason why charges were dropped to begin with.
Although the case of Alice Walton is very shady, it is also a great demonstration of what qualified and experienced attorneys can actually achieve, using their skills and expertise. This case was complicated, with many obstacles, but legal representatives managed to get it under control. Still, it is doubtful that the influence Walton’s wealth did not play any role in the case, but we have what we have – yet another DUI case with dropped charges.
Sacramento DUI Lawyers, www.sacramentoduilawyernow.org