Woman Arrested For Driving While Drunk and Naked
A Michigan woman got charged with four crimes, and she can't even remember what happened. Let's see if we can refresh her memory.
At around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, Jessie Schwaub-Devault was arrested after driving the wrong way while intoxicated. She led police on a five-mile chase before jumping out of her SUV and running. When police caught up with her, they were surprised to find that she was naked! Oh yeah, before the chase, she left her husband and child, also both naked, stranded at the roadside reststop.
Schwaub-Devault claims to have blacked out and have no memory of the incident. She was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, indecent exposure, fleeing the police, and child abuse.
Her Husband
While Schwaub-Devault probably deserved what she got, her poor husband not only had to suffer the indignity of being left naked on the side of the road, he was also arrested! Joshua Devault was also charged with indecent exposure and child abuse.
What was this family doing naked on a roadtrip at 4 a.m. in the morning?
Indecent Exposure
Unlike some states that only criminalize a person who is naked and acting lewdly, in Michigan, it is a crime simply to knowingly expose yourself indecently. Simple indecent exposure is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1,000.
Alternatively, if a person was naked and fondling his or her genitals, buttocks, or breasts, they can be punished by up to two years of prison and a fine of $2,000.
Child Abuse
While Schwaub-Devault's charges for DUI, indecent exposure, and fleeing the police seem justified, are you wondering why she got charged with child abuse?
Michigan's law states, "A person is guilty of child abuse in the fourth degree if ... the person knowingly or intentionally commits an act that under the circumstances poses an unreasonable risk of harm or injury to a child, regardless of whether physical harm results." Stranding a child naked on the side of the road in the middle of the night probably would constitute an unreasonable risk of harm or injury. I would be traumatized if that happened to me. If Schwaub-Devault is convicted of misdemeanor child abuse in the fourth degree, she could face up to one year in prison.
I'm dying to know what led up to this naked escapade. If only the Schwaub-Devault could remember.
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Related Resources:
- Mich. woman arrested for allegedly driving wrong way while drunk, naked (Fox News)
- Are 'Naked Bike Rides' Legal? (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)
- Naked Cowgirl Sues NYC Over Wrongful Arrest: I 'Rebuilt' This City (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Fla. Woman's Naked Arrest Leads to Lawsuit (FindLaw's Legally Weird)