Mayor Guilty—Just 90 Days?

handcuffed hands resting through prison bars — Photo: sakhorn / Shutterstock

A Louisiana judge kept a 90-day sentence for a convicted ex-mayor who faced up to 17 years, then admitted his case guide was wrong.

Story Snapshot

Misty Roberts was convicted of two felonies involving a 16-year-old and served 90 days.
Prosecutors sought a harsher sentence and asked the judge to reconsider.
The judge admitted his comparison list was plea deals but left the sentence in place.
The case spotlights wide discretion and uneven outcomes in child sex offense sentencing.

Conviction and Sentence That Sparked Public Anger

Jurors in Beauregard Parish found former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts guilty of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile tied to a 2024 party with a 16-year-old boy while she held office. In June, Judge Kent Savoie sentenced Roberts to 90 days in parish jail, a $5,000 fine, and two five-year suspended prison terms. Reports noted she had faced up to 17 years under the statutes charged, which made the short jail term stand out.

Prosecutors opposed leniency at sentencing and later moved to increase the punishment. The Beauregard Parish District Attorney’s office filed a motion asking Judge Savoie to reconsider, arguing the term was too light for the crimes. The state had pressed for far more time, highlighting the gap between the possible statutory exposure and the actual 90 days ordered by the court.

Reconsideration Hearing and the Judge’s Admission

At the reconsideration hearing, Judge Savoie denied the request to increase Roberts’ jail time and kept the sentence intact. Local reporting said Savoie acknowledged that the list of past cases he used as a guide consisted of plea deals rather than trial convictions, and he admitted he was wrong about that mix. A defense spokesperson said the judge also called the state’s push for a maximum term “a little overboard” for a first-time offender.

Coverage of the hearing also reported Savoie’s view that Roberts was not acting in her capacity as mayor during the conduct, which he suggested affected his analysis. The judge said he looked at how similar local cases were handled over 15 years and considered victim family statements presented at sentencing. Those factors, in his view, supported keeping the original sentence despite the prosecution’s objections and the admitted error in the case comparisons used.

Why This Case Hits a Nerve Across the Spectrum

Residents see a public official convicted of serious crimes serve only three months while average people often face years. That gap feeds a wider belief that the system bends for the well connected. Reports show Louisiana law allows wide ranges for sex offenses involving teens, which can make outcomes vary a lot by charge choice and judge discretion. That legal room helps explain the result, but it does not answer the public’s concern about fairness or equal treatment under the law.

🚨Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts Released After Serving 90 Days for Felony Juvenile Sex Crimes

📍DERIDDER, La.

Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts was released from state custody on September 7, according to official department records, after completing a 90-day jail… pic.twitter.com/A3DdTRb0Ck

— Amy Leigh (@IAmyLeigh) September 8, 2026

The debate now centers on proportionality, not legality. Prosecutors argued the punishment did not match the harm; the defense warned against a “trial tax” for refusing a plea. The judge’s admission about using plea-based comparisons deepened doubts about the process, even as he said the sentence still fit his local-guidance view. Until sentencing records, transcripts, and data are widely available, most people will judge the system by outcomes that look unequal to common sense.