Misty Roberts Clanton Case: 90-Day Sentence, Convictions, and Reaction

Former DeRidder, Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts was sentenced on June 9, 2026, to 90 days in a parish jail, two concurrent five-year suspended prison sentences, a $5,000 fine, five years of probation, and lifetime registration as a sex offender for having sex with a teenage boy at a party she hosted while in office. Judge Kent Savoie handed down the sentence in the 36th Judicial District Court in Beauregard Parish after a jury convicted Roberts in March 2026 on two felony counts. She declined to post an appeal bond and surrendered from the courtroom to begin serving her jail term.¹

What the Sentence Includes

The full sentence handed down by Judge Savoie has several parts:

90 days in a parish jail.
Two five-year prison terms, suspended and to run concurrently. If Roberts violates her probation, she can be ordered to serve up to 10 years.
A $5,000 fine.
Lifetime sex offender registration.
Five years of probation, with regular drug screenings, psychotropic and psychological therapy, no contact with the victim or his family, abstention from drugs and alcohol, and monthly supervision fees.²³

The Convictions Behind the Sentence

On March 3, 2026, a six-person Beauregard Parish jury found Roberts guilty on two felony counts: carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile.⁴ The charges arose from a party at Roberts’ home on the night of July 20, 2024, where prosecutors said she had sex with a friend of her son. Her own children testified against her: her son told forensic interviewers he saw the encounter through a crack in a window, and her daughter testified she saw her mother and the young man “on top of each other.”⁵ Roberts resigned as mayor on July 27, 2024, and turned herself in on August 1, 2024.⁶

Under Louisiana law, felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.⁷ With two felony counts on the table, prosecutors asked for a combined 17-year sentence. Judge Savoie gave Roberts 90 days of actual jail time.

Why Judge Savoie Gave 90 Days

Savoie, an ad hoc judge appointed from another parish after the Louisiana Supreme Court removed the two original Beauregard Parish judges from the case, laid out several reasons for the sentence he imposed.⁸⁹¹⁰

Savoie also referenced a list of 34 sex abuse cases prosecuted in Beauregard Parish over the previous 15 years. All 34 had ended in plea deals rather than jury convictions. Twenty-five of those included suspended sentences, and 12 resulted in no prison time at all.¹⁰

Roberts had asked for a new trial before sentencing. On May 27, 2026, her attorneys argued the verdict was contrary to the law and evidence, pointing to what they called inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony about the encounter. Judge Savoie denied the motion the next day, saying, “I do not see where there was a miscarriage of justice.”¹¹

At the sentencing hearing itself, defense attorney Adam Johnson described the incident as a “one-time mistake” during a mental breakdown and urged the judge to “tune out public pressure.” A defense psychologist acknowledged that Roberts had not fully accepted responsibility, a concession that drew applause from the courtroom. Savoie said he was “substantially moved by how it affected (the victim’s) family” but added, “I can’t help the fact that people may be unhappy.”³⁸

Reaction From Prosecutors, Family, and Community

The 90-day term drew immediate criticism. Beauregard Parish District Attorney James R. Lestage said in a statement, “I don’t think the sentence that was imposed reflects the severity of the crimes. It doesn’t, in my opinion, represent the values of Beauregard Parish.”¹ Prosecutor Charles Robinson had argued before the hearing that “no way an elected official can have sex with a child and not go to jail,” and afterward he called the sentence “lenient.”³

Community members used the phrase “slap on the wrist for a child predator,” with one DeRidder resident asking, “What if I did that? I’d be getting maxed out.”¹

Four members of the victim’s family delivered impact statements at the hearing. His mother addressed Roberts directly, calling her “a predator with high heels, extensions, Botox, and fake eyelashes” and telling her, “Stay the hell away from my family.” She also alleged Roberts had violated her bond conditions by driving past a baseball game where both the victim and Roberts’ son were playing. His sister said her brother was “panicked and disgusted” after the incident and asked that Roberts pay for his therapy. His oldest sister criticized Roberts for refusing a plea deal, which forced family members to testify, saying, “None of this would have happened if she had asked, ‘How old are you?'” Family members told the court the victim suffered panic attacks, missed significant school time, and endured schoolyard ridicule, including being called “the mayor slayer” by a baseball teammate.¹³

Where She Is Now and What Happens Next

Roberts could have posted a $150,000 appeal bond to stay free while pursuing an appeal. She declined and surrendered from the courtroom instead. She was booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail on June 9, 2026, and as of late June 2026 she was serving her sentence in Vernon Parish.¹⁰

Her defense team said they plan to appeal the conviction. As of the most recent reporting in the record, no appeal had been formally filed.¹

After Roberts finishes her 90 days, the rest of the sentence continues to run. She will be on probation for five years under the conditions Judge Savoie set, and she must register as a sex offender for the rest of her life. If she violates probation, the suspended portion of her sentence can be activated and she can be ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison.

1
KALB. “Slap on the Wrist”: DeRidder Citizens Express Disappointment After Misty Roberts Gets 90 Days for Sex Crimes Against Teen
2
The Guardian. Louisiana Mayor Misty Roberts Sentence
3
The Advocate. Misty Roberts DeRidder Mayor Sex Crime Sentencing
4
KPLC. Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts to Be Sentenced Today for Child Sex Crimes
5
WOWT. Son Says in Interview His Mother, Former Mayor, Had Sex With His Underage Friend
6
KPLC. DeRidder Mayor Arrested Five Days After Resigning
7
FindLaw. Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 14, Sect. 80
8
KPLC. Why Did Judge Kent Savoie Sentence Misty Roberts to 90 Days in Jail
9
Louisiana Radio Network. Former DeRidder Mayor Sentenced
10
KNOE. Cases Used in Deciding Misty Roberts’ Sentencing All Ended in Plea Deals, Public Records Show
11
American Press. Former DeRidder Mayor Denied New Trial