A former Louisiana mayor, Misty Roberts, is out of jail after serving her 90-day prison sentence for raping a 16-year-old boy during her tenure. Roberts, 44, finished her term on Monday, a week after the judge who presided over her case rejected a request from prosecutors to force her to serve a more severe sentence, according to KPLC. Judge Kent Savoie said he based Roberts' sentence on more than 30 cases that culminated in plea deals.
However, Roberts did not take a plea — she was convicted in a jury trial. Savoie has acknowledged that he made a mistake in basing his sentencing on cases that ended with plea deals, but did not opt to amend his sentencing after the ruling. I was wrong in that respect.” Had she not been given the lighter sentence, she could have faced up to 17 years in prison following her conviction for statutory rape.
According to prosecutors, she raped the teenage victim at a pool party at her home in July 2024. She was serving as the mayor of DeRidder at the time of the incident. She resigned just days before her arrest.
The victim was a local high school student who was friends with Roberts' son. Her sentence was met with frustration by some community members who thought she was getting off without a proper punishment. There are no excuses when it comes to our children," DeRidder resident Karin McGee told local broadcaster KALB.
Another resident, Ryan Clark, called the 90-day sentence "an insult." In addition to the jail time, Roberts was also ordered to pay $5,000 in fines, submit to regular drug screenings, register as a sex offender, and undergo psychotropic and psychological therapy. If she violates her release conditions, she will be forced to serve two suspended five-year prison sentences concurrently, according to the ruling. During her sentencing on June 9, Roberts addressed the judge and said she was at fault for what happened.
I let a lot of people down, and I am the only person responsible for that," she said, according to KPLC. She said she hit "the absolute floor" the day she committed the crime, and called herself an "embarrassment." “What an embarrassment I’ve been to this city,” she said. Beauregard Parish District Attorney James Lestage said the prosecution did what it could to put Roberts away for longer.
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