Polis Commutes Tina Peters's 9-Year Sentence as Trump Pressure Deepens Colorado Divide
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Polis Commutes Tina Peters's 9-Year Sentence as Trump Pressure Deepens Colorado Divide
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Tina Peters, 70, is set to leave a Colorado prison Monday after Gov. Jared Polis cut short the former county clerk’s nine-year sentence.
Polis granted clemency after months of debate and political attacks from Donald Trump, who had demanded Peters be freed.
Peters was convicted in a scheme to tamper with Mesa County voting machines to support false claims that the 2020 election was rigged against Trump.
Grand Junction, where Peters will be paroled and still owns a home, is sharply split over her return despite backing Trump in the past three presidential elections.
Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein, who prosecuted Peters, said her case has come to define a city that would rather be known for tourism than election denial.
When a sentence for election tampering is cut short, how is justice for crimes against the democratic process redefined?
What precedent does an official's early release set for the future security of the nation's voting systems?