A jury on Tuesday found former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts guilty of two felony counts tied to a 2024 house party where prosecutors said she had sex with a 16-year-old boy, ending a case that had been slowed for months by appeals and court fights over indictments.
The verdict against Roberts, 43, came after jurors heard days of testimony from teenagers, relatives and investigators about what happened at her home and what followed in the hours and days after the party. Roberts had pleaded not guilty to charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Judge Kent Savoie scheduled sentencing for April 17 and set bond at $100,000, allowing Roberts to leave the courthouse under a stipulation in her surety bond that stayed in effect after conviction.
The case centered on a late-night gathering in July 2024 at Roberts’ home that started as a hangout for teenagers and, according to prosecutors, spun into a scene of underage drinking, panic and a scramble to contain rumors. Prosecutors told jurors the key evidence included witness accounts, phone messages and photos from the night, as well as what they described as a single image that showed Roberts and the teen together in a way they said supported the charges. Assistant District Attorney Charles Robinson repeatedly pointed jurors to that image during the trial. “A lewd and lascivious picture is worth a thousand words,” Robinson said during opening statements, later returning to the same theme in closing arguments as he displayed exhibits he said matched the timeline.
Defense attorney Adam Johnson urged jurors to view the case as a story fueled by talk in a small city and by shifting accounts from young witnesses under stress. “Rumor became the story, and story became the press release,” Johnson said during opening statements. He argued that investigators and prosecutors did not do enough to lock down objective evidence and instead built the case around what people thought they saw and what they later said after the allegations spread. Johnson told the jury the state did not pursue what he described as important steps, including looking for possible surveillance video, checking potential DNA evidence and running down leads he said could have clarified who was where inside the house and when.
Jurors heard from the teenage boy at the center of the case, who testified that he had been drinking at the party and later had sex with Roberts. He told jurors he was intoxicated and said he felt embarrassed when word began to circulate among friends and classmates. His testimony came near the end of the state’s case and was followed by brief presentations from both sides before deliberations. A KPLC report from court said the jury deliberated for less than an hour. Prosecutors also called other teenagers who were at the party. One witness testified he initially lied to police but later said he saw Roberts and the teen having sex. Another witness described seeing a phone held up to a window as people tried to figure out what was happening inside the home.
Digital evidence became a central theme as the trial moved along. A state police investigator testified that data pulled from phones included photos showing Roberts and the teen together. Investigators also sought access to a cloud account tied to Roberts, and jurors heard that phone messages were part of the state’s narrative about what happened after the party. Prosecutors said messages showed the teen’s mother contacting Roberts with concerns about pregnancy and Roberts responding that she was on birth control. Prosecutors also highlighted testimony from a delivery driver who said he brought emergency contraception to Roberts’ home soon after the night in question. The defense attacked what it called gaps in how evidence was collected and preserved and questioned whether investigators chased down every possible lead before the case reached court.
Several adults close to Roberts described a night that turned chaotic after the teenagers began confronting her. Jill Weaver, identified in court accounts as a longtime friend, testified that she urged teens to keep quiet, including sending a message that said “lie till you die,” a phrase prosecutors used to argue there was an effort to keep the matter from reaching police. Roberts’ ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, testified that Roberts admitted to him that she had sex with the teen and asked him to contact the boy’s family to gauge how they might respond. Defense lawyers argued Clanton had his own reasons to cast Roberts in the worst light because of family conflict, and they pressed witnesses on whether their stories stayed consistent across interviews and testimony.
The verdict on Tuesday capped a long and unusual legal path. Louisiana State Police said in 2024 that its Special Victims Unit interviewed two juveniles, including the alleged victim, and obtained an arrest warrant. Roberts resigned from office in late July 2024 after first saying she would take a short leave and naming a temporary replacement, and she turned herself in on Aug. 1, 2024. Early charges included third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, according to state police and local reports at the time. The case later shifted as courts reviewed how grand jury proceedings were handled, with appeals leading to indictments being tossed and a mistrial being declared before an earlier trial could proceed. Roberts was ultimately tried on the two felony charges a jury convicted her of this week.
During the latest proceedings, jurors also heard criticism of the investigation itself. At a pretrial hearing, a lead investigator said she had formatted a recording device, causing some witness interviews to be lost, an issue the defense said could matter for credibility. The same investigator acknowledged using blunt language with a parent about witnesses needing to cooperate, while explaining on the stand that the comments were aimed at adults and not at the children involved. The dispute over investigative choices continued into the trial, with defense lawyers arguing police did not fully explore other sources of proof. Prosecutors countered that the evidence they did gather, including messages and photos, matched the testimony and supported the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Roberts’ conviction carries the possibility of prison time. A KPLC report from the courthouse said the carnal knowledge conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and the indecent behavior conviction carries a maximum of seven years. The same report said Roberts will be required to register as a Tier 1 sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 17, and Roberts is expected to return to court for that hearing. After the verdict, the district attorney’s office declined to comment, citing the judge’s request that attorneys not discuss the case publicly.
DeRidder, a small city near Louisiana’s western border, has already moved on politically from the resignation that shook city hall in 2024. A new mayor was elected to serve the remainder of Roberts’ term, and the city is set to hold another mayoral election this spring. Still, the criminal case remained a constant backdrop, drawing steady attention because it involved an elected official, a teenager and allegations that began at a party in a private home and ended in public testimony. In court, jurors heard again and again how quickly the story spread, and how the people closest to Roberts reacted when they feared it would not stay private.
As of Tuesday night, Roberts remained free on bond while she awaits sentencing, and her lawyers still have options to pursue post-trial motions and appeals. The next key date is April 17, when the judge is expected to decide whether Roberts will serve time in prison and under what conditions.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.