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Tag: Tina Peters

In Department of Justice inquiry to Tina Peters’ case, the question is whether she is a political prisoner
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

In Department of Justice inquiry to Tina Peters’ case, the question is whether she is a political prisoner

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice If an election official was sentenced to nine years in prison, you might assume they had been caught stuffing ballot boxes or rigging results. But, what if they were convicted for preserving election records? That’s the case of Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, whose actions led to a landmark prosecution — one that has now drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.  Federal authorities are stepping in to review whether her sentence was excessive and whether her prosecution was influenced politically. The case also beckons scrutiny over the intersection of election integrity, the rule of law and the fair application of justice. The DOJ’s Statement of Interest, filed March 3 by Acting Assistant Att...
Prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to be reviewed by Justice Department
coloradopolitics.com, State

Prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to be reviewed by Justice Department

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The U.S. Department of Justice has announced it will review the Colorado case that led to the prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters. In May 2021, Peters was convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanors related to a security breach involving election equipment at the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's Office. The Justice Department's intervention is connected to a federal lawsuit Peters filed against the Larimer County Sheriff, seeking to be released from jail while the appeals process moves forward. Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison, with six months to be served in county jail and the rest in state prison. She was convicted of four felonies, including three counts of attempting to influence a public se...
March for Tina Peters is Saturday, March 1, in Fort Collins
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

March for Tina Peters is Saturday, March 1, in Fort Collins

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Tina Peters, formerly the Mesa County clerk and recorder, rose to notoriety for her stance on election integrity, after facilitating a forensic image of Mesa County’s election management system prior to a ‘Trusted Build’ by the Colorado secretary of state. In October 2024, Tina Peters was handed a nine-year prison sentence following a conviction on seven charges, including three felonies, for attempting to influence a public servant, one for conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and misdemeanors for official misconduct, duty violation and noncompliance with the secretary of state. Peters is currently serving her sentence in the Larimer County jail. Her backers are uniting for a show of support, hoping for justice...
Tina Peters’ filing argues her actions were protected by the Supremacy Clause
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Tina Peters’ filing argues her actions were protected by the Supremacy Clause

"She [Peters] is pale, has lost weight, and has difficulties with memory and word-finding," filing reads By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has taken her fight to the U.S. District Court in Colorado, claiming her prosecution violated the U.S. Constitution. On Feb. 7, Peters filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge her incarceration, claiming she was simply doing her duty to preserve election data, as required by federal rules. The petition, filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, contests Peters’ denial of bond pending appeal and claims multiple constitutional violations in her trial.  It asserts that her prosecution is invalid because 52 U.S.C. § 20701 requires election officials to preserve election records for 22 months...
Tina Peters is now a Larimer Co. inmate. Here’s detail on why Mesa Co. chose to transfer Peters
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Tina Peters is now a Larimer Co. inmate. Here’s detail on why Mesa Co. chose to transfer Peters

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Fears expressed by Tina Peters to Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputies during her stay in the county's jail led to the decision this week to relocate the former Mesa County clerk, the Rocky Mountain Voice has learned. In an overabundance of caution and to help ensure her feeling of safety, Peters has been transferred to the Larimer County jail. Sgt. Justin Montover, of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Professional Standards and Internal Affairs Unit, clarified key details regarding Peters’ incarceration and the measures taken to address her concerns.  “On several occasions, Tina was asked if she felt safe and to provide specifics about any issues," he said. "She expressed fears, but did not provide clear details about d...
Court of Appeals vacates contempt conviction against Tina Peters in iPad recording case
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Court of Appeals vacates contempt conviction against Tina Peters in iPad recording case

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In a court order filed Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, the Court of Appeals ruled that the case against Tina Peters concerning a contempt of court conviction over an iPad recording in Mesa County be vacated. Her attorney John Case said in a written statement, “The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed Tina’s conviction for contempt and vacated the judgment, meaning that the contempt case is over and there will be no retrial. She had been found innocent of recording a judicial proceeding and innocent of lying to Judge Barrett.  The basis of the ruling was that [District Attorney] Dan Rubinstein failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.” In response to Case's statement, Rubinstein wrote, “... there is no s...
Tina Peters has been transferred from Mesa County to Larimer County jail
Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Tina Peters has been transferred from Mesa County to Larimer County jail

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters has been transferred from the Mesa County jail to the Larimer County jail.  According to Larimer County booking information, Peters was processed as an inmate into the Larimer County jail at 11:53 a.m.  Wednesday. No other booking information was provided. On Oct. 3, 2024, Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced Peters to a 9-year prison sentence after she was previously found guilty of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with an order by the secretary of state.  She was immediately taken into custody following sentencing. The sentence i...
Tina Peters appeal filed while justice awaits Jena Griswold
Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Tina Peters appeal filed while justice awaits Jena Griswold

By Heidi Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice The legal journey of Tina Peters, former Clerk and Recorder of Mesa County, Colorado, has become emblematic of the contentious debates surrounding election integrity and judicial fairness.  Peters now seeks bond pending appeal, citing significant procedural and constitutional concerns in her trial. Peters was convicted on charges that stemmed from her decision to hire a cybersecurity expert to create forensic images of Mesa County's election management system (EMS). This action followed a directive from the Colorado Secretary of State to perform a software update, which Peters believed might erase key election records. Her intent, she insists, was to comply with federal laws mandating the preservation of election records for 22 months. The cr...
Schumann: Griswold’s apology for election security breach draws comparisons to Tina Peters’ case
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Schumann: Griswold’s apology for election security breach draws comparisons to Tina Peters’ case

By Jen Schumann | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In a recent turn of events, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is now expressing regret over the actions coming from her office. In a November 4th press release, Griswold stated, "I am regretful for this error. I am dedicated to making sure we address this matter fully and that mistakes of this nature never happen again." Griswold's sentiment is in response to her office’s exposure of BIOS passwords for election equipment in 63 counties. The passwords, vital for securing voting system components, were posted on a subpage of the Department's website and had been accessible online since June. This apology, however, has drawn attention due to Griswold’s previously strict stance on election security breaches, especially in t...
[UPDATED] Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters given 9-year sentence by judge
Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

[UPDATED] Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters given 9-year sentence by judge

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Judge Matthew Barrett has sentenced Tina Peters, once the Mesa County clerk and recorder, to serve eight and a half years in prison with the Department of Corrections, and six months in the Mesa County Jail as a result of being found guilty on various election charges related to her former capacity. In a scathing rebuke of her defiant behavior after a guilty conviction, Barrett listed all the reasons that probation was not a possibility for Peters: “You are no hero… Yes, you are a charlatan… Incarceration is appropriate when a person is a danger to us all, by sword or by pen,” he said from the bench. Peters' attorney, Michael Edministor, asked the judge to consider a probated sentence, considering his client had exhibited a his...