Oral Roberts’ Son Gets Probation in DUI Case

Richard Roberts, son of Oral Roberts, will not go to jail for a January DUI offense.

Instead, the former president of Oral Roberts University will serve 18 months of probation.

Roberts waived his right to a trial on the misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and pleaded guilty to a speeding count.

As part of the plea agreement, Special Judge Sara Smith withheld adjudication and deferred sentencing until October 2013. Roberts will have no conviction posted on his public records if he abides by the terms of the probation. The case will be dismissed.

According to the arrest and booking reports, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper clocked Roberts’ Mercedes at 93 mph in a 65 mph zone.

A report from the jail indicates that the trooper administered a horizontal gaze sobriety test after he smelled a strong odor of alcohol, but Roberts was unable to follow the instructions. He was also unable to execute the walk-and-turn test.

The trooper arrested Roberts and took him to the Jenks Police Department, where he agreed to a breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol level was tested at .11 percent. The legal limit in Oklahoma is .08 percent.

Roberts, 63, resigned as ORU’s president in 2007 amid allegations that he and his family misused university and ministry resources. He was given the honorary title of president emeritus in 2008. His father, Oral Roberts, died in 2009.

Roberts is currently the chairman and CEO of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. He and his wife, Lindsay, host a nationally syndicated TV program, The Place for Miracles: Your Hour of Healing, a one-hour, interactive daily broadcast that reaches out to millions.

Gina Meeks contributed to this article.