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 â 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.
âI asked someone to get me a list of cases similar,â he said during a court hearing on August 31. âI made an assumption, and that assumption was wrong. I was wrong in that respect.â
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.
âWhen it comes to children, we should use the fullest extent of the law. 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.
âI blame myself then, I blame myself today and I will blame myself for the rest of my life. 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."
âWhat an embarrassment Iâve been to this city,â she said. âIâve made a mess of all of this, but it certainly was not my intent.â
During victim impact statements, the victim's mother called Roberts "a predator with hair extensions, high heels [and] Botox" and warned her to "stay the hell away from my family," according to the broadcaster.
Beauregard Parish District Attorney James Lestage said the prosecution did what it could to put Roberts away for longer.
âWeâve done our part. Weâve done what we could to present the evidence to protect and represent the victims. I think the jury saw that. The jury convicted her. We argued for the maximum sentences, which we feel are appropriate," he said, according to KPLC. "I donât think the sentence that was imposed reflects the severity of the crimes. It doesnât, in my opinion, represent the values of Beauregard Parish."
Roberts' defense attorneys, Adam Johnson and Todd S Clemons, said their client would adhere to all of her post-release conditions.
"She was sincere, strong, and apologetic for her actions in her address to the Court today and we believe that also had a real impact on this outcome," they said.
Roberts also apologized to the victim's family.
âI canât give back the high school days ⊠I canât take away the embarrassment that so many mean people on the internet have put them through," she said.
