Georgia man charged with driving naked in Florida
The Associated Press

Bunnell, Fla. — Authorities say a Georgia man was driving naked on the highway in Flagler County, where he repeatedly flashed a woman and her 11-year-old son.

A woman driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 with her son in the cab Thursday reported that a naked man in a sport utility vehicle had been keeping pace with her and performing lewd acts. She told authorities that the man followed her for about 8 miles, but she was eventually able to get away by pulling into a weigh station.

The woman reported the man and vehicle to the Florida Highway Patrol, and troopers say the caught up with 45-year-old Mark Duffus about 20 miles to the north on the highway.

Duffus was charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition and indecent exposure. He was released Friday on $2,000 bail.

No bond set for accused child slapper
By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With no bond, the man accused of slapping a stranger’s 2-year-old child in a Stone Mountain Wal-Mart remains in jail.

Arrested on Sept. 2, Stephens, 61, is charged with felony cruelty to children, according to Gwinnett County sheriff spokeswoman Stacey Bourbannais.

Roger Stephens’ court appointed lawyer, Kelley Kautz, considers this a good thing.

However, Kautz said he has not yet been formally charged. And with no bond, the district attorney has 90 days to hold Stephens’ court appearance, she said.

Although Kautz would not say what would happen should the 90-day deadline pass with no action from the district attorney, she did say she preferred Stephens not have a bond.

“It is better than having a bond, not being able to pay it, and he sit in jail for six to eight months,” she said. “Gwinnett has been known to take that long.”

Stephens was walking the aisles of the Wal-Mart on Rockbridge Road on Sept. 2, when, according to a police report, he approached the mother of the 2-year-old child and said “if you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.”

A few moments later, in another aisle, Stephens grabbed the 2-year-old girl and slapped her across the face four or five times, police said. The victim sustained slight redness to the face.

Cop charged with DUI resigns
By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Gwinnett County officer resigned Wednesday — four days after being arrested for DUI.

James Stoudenmire, 27, resigned in lieu of being terminated, Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said.

“Members of this police department who are involved in incidents which reflect poorly on the department, will not be tolerated,” Chief Charles Walters said in a statement. “We not only owe it to the citizens of this county, but to ourselves to set the highest standards possible in professionalism.”

Police said Stoudenmire was off-duty Saturday morning when he was involved in a traffic crash on Pleasant Hill Road near Interstate 85 after leaving Wild Bill’s.

Investigators said Stoudenmire was driving a 2006 Ford Mustang when he rear-ended a 1999 tan Mazda that was stopped at a traffic light.

Stoudenmire’s fellow officers responded to the crash and determined he was intoxicated, police said. Stoudenmire was arrested and taken to the Gwinnett jail on charges of DUI and following too close. He has since been released on a $1,557 bond.

A passenger in the Mazda was treated at the scene for a leg injury, police said.

Stoudenmire worked for Gwinnett Police for four years. He was placed on administrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation, which determined he should be terminated, police said.