Clorado Governor Jared Polis on Friday commuted the nine-year prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to four years and four and a half months. The commutation makes Peters, who is 70 years old, eligible for parole on June 1, 2026
As of this writing, Peters has served approximately 19 months in prison since her sentencing in October 2024. The action is a commutation of sentence rather than a full pardon, meaning Peters’ convictions remain on her record and she will continue to be classified as a convicted felon.
Governor Polis described the decision as an effort to address what he viewed as sentencing disparities and to align with principles of fair application of the law. “She, because of her incorrect and unpopular speech, got an unduly harsh sentence,” the Democrat governor said while speaking with CNN.
He added that he had “many of the same concerns that the appeals court, which was basically that because of her unpopular and incorrect conspiracy beliefs, she was punished more harshly than usual for a crime that she committed.”
Polis went on to emphasize that he disagrees with Peters but felt the sentence was too harsh. “I’m a strong supporter of free speech. I share and vehemently disagree with the way Tina Peters chooses to use her free speech. But it’s a free country, she’s free to do it,” he said.
“I hope that Democrats don’t sacrifice our deeply held belief in free speech because of political expediency or disregard for what people are saying. There should be no consideration of what we say, how unpopular it is, how inaccurate it is in sentencing or in criminal proceedings.”
The governor went on to contrast Peters’ nine-year sentence with that of a former state senator convicted of the same felony charge of attempting to influence a public official, who received probation and community service instead of prison time. “It’s really about disparate sentences,” he said. “Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly.”
REPORT: Tina Peters to be released from jail, will receive clemency from Colorado’s Democrat Governor Jared Polis. pic.twitter.com/zsUJLzHAc0
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 15, 2026
The commutation follows an April 2 ruling from the Colorado Court of Appeals, which upheld Peters’ convictions but reversed her original sentence. The appeals court found that the trial judge had improperly factored in Peters’ protected speech when determining the length of her term.
Peters was convicted by a Mesa County jury in 2024 on seven counts, including three counts of attempting to influence a public official, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with an order of the Secretary of State. She was acquitted on three related counts.
The charges stemmed from events in 2021 when, as county clerk, Peters facilitated access to Mesa County’s election equipment and data. She has maintained that her actions were taken to preserve records and allow for an independent review amid questions about the 2020 presidential election process.
As an elected official responsible for overseeing local elections, she permitted authorized personnel to examine voting systems and data in an effort to verify the accuracy and security of the 2020 results. Election integrity activists have long viewed these steps as a legitimate attempt to address public concerns and fulfill her duty to ensure transparent election administration.
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