MISTY ROBERTS (photo courtesy of Louisiana Sex Offender Registry)
Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts is set to be released from jail this weekend, despite an effort by prosecutors to lengthen her sentence for having sex with a 16-year-old boy while she was the mayor. Pamela Sleezer is covering the case for the American Press and says it was a long shot that Judge Kent Savoie would add on to his original sentence.
“You’re asking a judge to go, ‘You were right, I was wrong; what was I thinking?’ No one’s going to go back and say, ‘Whew, I was was just crazy for that; what was I thinking up here?'” Sleezer said.
Roberts received a 90-day prison sentence in June and is set to be released on Sunday. The victim’s family is disappointed in the decision. Sleezer says Judge Savoie did admit he was bothered to hear during the victim impact statements that the victim’s family said the teen has “struggled” since the incident.
“He said that they didn’t provide any evidence, and so for that, he didn’t look into it any further; but, according to the judge, that’s the one thing that stood out to him; but he didn’t give it that much weight,” Sleezer noted.
Sleezer says Judge Savoie admitted his sentence was based on similar cases in Beauregard Parish that resulted in plea deals and acknowledged this was a trial that resulted in Roberts’ conviction, but that still didn’t change her sentencing.
Beauregard Parish District Attorney James R. Lestage was seeking the maximum sentence, which is 10 years. Sleezer says Judge Savoie said that was a little overboard for a first-time offender.
“He actually said he was disappointed in the state trying to seek out a maximum sentence, but it ultimately didn’t change his opinion on anything,” Sleezer said.
Roberts will have to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years.
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