The 48 year old daughter of Sam Walton was found guilty on May 29th. of driving while impaired, failure to wear a seatbelt, and failure to maintain control of her car, and refusing to take a blood alcohol test. Alice Walton, whom the media refer to as “the second richest woman in the nation” (her mother, Helen Walton is the richest), was charged with traffic violations in late January, when her late model SUV “careened off a road and destroyed a gas meter and telephone box,” according to the Associated Press. Walton broke her nose in the accident. A police report indicated that Walton told police: “You know who I am, don’t you? You know my last name?” Springfield city attorneys offered Walton a plea offer of $350 in fines, $300 in court costs, and two days of community service. Instead, Walton hired a public relations expert, at least two lawyers, and lined up 16 witnesses to testify at her trial. City Attorney Jeff Harper questioned Walton’s decision to go to trial. “If she wins,” he said, “she loses from a public relations standpoint.” Walton hired Arkansas lawyer Woody Bassett, a friend of President Bill Clinton. Walton claimed to be innocent of the DWI charge. Police at the scene gave Walton “an eye gazing test” that showed six signs of illegal intoxication. Alice Walton is scheduled to be sentence on July 2, and could face a year in jail and a fine of $1,000. Walton is estimated to be worth more than $6 billion. Profits from Wal-Mart stores have made Alice and Helen Walton the richest women in America.
Don’t drink and drive. Don’t shop at Wal-Mart, and don’t keep feeding the machine that feeds Alice Walton.
