Tina Peters cannot appear remotely from jail at court hearing, judge rules
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A federal magistrate judge Tuesday denied a motion from former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who asked to appear at an upcoming court hearing remotely from prison in Pueblo.
Peters, a prominent far-right election denier, is serving a nine-year prison sentence for her role in a 2021 security breach in the elections office she oversaw. Peters has appealed the conviction. While the Colorado Court of Appeals reviews her appeal, Peters has filed a federal habeas corpus petition in U.S. District Court of Colorado, arguing that she should be released on bond pending the appeal decision.
The hearing, scheduled for July 22, is set to focus on the habeas corpus petition, in which Peters’ attorneys say that “since she has been incarcerated, her health has deteriorated.”
Peters’ attorneys said in the motion that she wanted to attend the July 22 hearing because the issues being discussed “affect her liberty interests.” Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak’s decision Tuesday precludes her from doing so.
During Peters’ sentencing in October, 21st Judicial District Judge Matthew Barrett said Peters had done “immeasurable damage” to local elections and trust in the electoral process. Peters was convicted by a jury in August on three felony counts related to the security breach, which was part of an effort to demonstrate that the 2020 election was untrustworthy, even though there is no credible evidence to support that position.
Peters’ case has garnered national attention and President Donald Trump has called for the U.S. Department of Justice to take “all necessary action” to secure her release. Trump cannot pardon Peters, because her conviction involves state crimes.
“Tina is an innocent Political Prisoner being horribly and unjustly punished in the form of Cruel and Unusual Punishment,” Trump said in a Truth Social post May 5.
May 12, the Department of Justice asked for records from Colorado related to the 2024 and 2020 federal elections, as NPR first reported. Some election officials, including Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, believe the request is tied to the Peters case.
