Misty Roberts, the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, has been released from custody after completing a 90-day jail sentence. State corrections records confirm that Ms Roberts finished her term on the US Labor Day holiday, having been sentenced for raping a 16-year-old boy while in elected office.
Her release follows a decision by the presiding judge, Kent Savoie, to reject a request from prosecutors for a harsher sentence. Judge Savoie stated on 31 August that he made an error in basing Ms Roberts' sentence on cases resolved through plea deals, unlike her own prosecution which resulted in a jury trial and guilty verdict, according to Louisiana news station KPLC.
Ms Roberts, 44, was convicted in early March of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a minor. Prosecutors established that she sexually assaulted the victim at her home in July 2024. At the time of the crime, Ms Roberts was mayor of DeRidder, a position she had held since 2018, and resigned days before her arrest in August 2024.
In addition to the jail term, Ms Roberts is required to register as a sex offender, pay $5,000 in fines, undergo regular drug screenings, and receive psychotropic and psychological therapy. She faces two concurrent five-year suspended prison sentences if she violates the conditions of her release.