Louisiana certainly has some of the most corrupt politicians in the country. Several current and former elected officials—including Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Mayor Tyrin Truong, and former Sheriff Susan Hutson—have received serious criminal indictments over the past few years alone.

One of the most disturbing criminal cases facing an elected official involved former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts. According to the Louisiana State Police, the 44- year-old was arrested two years ago for allegations that she had sexual relations with an underage teenage boy.

“On July 26, 2024, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the Louisiana State Police Special Victim’s Unit (LSP SVU) to investigate a complaint against the former Mayor of DeRidder for allegations of sexual relations with a juvenile. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 42-year-old Misty Roberts …”

This criminal case finally went to trial in early 2026, and the public finally gained more details about Misty Roberts’s alleged crimes.

In July 2024, Roberts held a alcohol-fueled birthday party at her home for her teenage son and her son’s underage friends—all while she was Mayor. During the party, Roberts had sex with one of her son’s friends, who was intoxicated.

In this criminal trial, Roberts’s own children testified against their own mother for her salacious sexual crimes against a juvenile:

Both of Roberts’ children also took the stand today.

The prosecution called her son up first and began to review video of his interview with a child advocacy center back in 2025. In that video, he claimed he saw his mother having sex with his friend through a crack in a window.

Text messages between Roberts and her son were also presented by the prosecution, including what alcohol the kids wanted for the party.

We also saw messages sent through the evening as Robert’s son told her what was happening was crazy and that his little sister was crying. He also texted her, “He is seventeen.” The victim of this case was identified as sixteen at the time of the alleged crime.

Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while her interview with investigators played. In it, she said she saw her mother and the young man, “on top of each other” that night.

Fortunately, the jury decided to convict Roberts of carnal knowledge of juvenile, also known as statutory rape, in March 2026. However, Roberts’s sentencing only came this past week. Prosecutors pushed for the maximum sentence of 17 years under Louisiana law, but the presiding judge, Kent Savoie, had other plans.

In a shocking twist, Judge Savoie handed down only a 90-day jail sentence to Roberts for the felony. Judge Savoie’s reasoning for this lenient sentence is due to Roberts’s previous clean criminal record and case precedent in Beauregard Parish.

Many citizens of DeRidder have expressed extreme dissatisfaction with this “slap on the wrist” for Roberts.

This sentence is truly an embarrassment for our state. A sitting mayor clearly took advantage of a drunk minor. The power imbalance is obvious. The fact that it happened at a party she hosted with alcohol present makes the situation even more indefensible.

Unfortunately, Louisiana’s legal system allowed this lenient punishment to take place. Louisiana law (La. R.S. 14:80) currently does not have require a mandatory minimum prison sentence for adults who commit sexual acts with victims between the ages of 13 and 16.

The victim’s family received no real justice here. Even worse, every predator in Louisiana now gets the message that even statutory rape of a minor might only cost you three months in jail if you have good lawyers, no priors, and a soft-on-crime judge.

Misty Roberts will serve her 90 days and move on. The victim and his family won’t. Louisiana’s justice system owes them better than this.

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Nathan Koenig is a frequent contributor to RVIVR.com, a national conservative political site affiliated with The Hayride. Follow his writing on the Louisiana First Standard Substack, on Twitter (X) @LAFirstStandard, on Tik Tok @la.first.standard & on Instagram @lafirststandard. Email him here: louisianafirststandard@proton.me