A Colorado appeals court just crushed Tina Peters’ latest hope of walking free while she fights her nine-year prison sentence. The former Mesa County clerk, convicted for tampering with voting equipment after the 2020 election, will remain behind bars after judges ruled her bond request came more than a year too late.
The decision, handed down this week, marks another brutal setback for the 69-year-old grandmother who still has fierce backing from election-denial circles and even caught President Trump’s attention.
Why the Bond Request Was Rejected
The Colorado Court of Appeals didn’t mince words. State rules give defendants just 49 days after sentencing to ask for bond pending appeal. Peters waited 15 months.
Her legal team claimed repeated attempts to get a hearing and problems with prior lawyers made the deadline impossible to meet. The three-judge panel wasn’t buying it.
“The request is denied as untimely,” the court wrote in a short, blunt order.
Peters also asked for her case to be moved away from District Judge Matthew Barrett, the same judge who sentenced her in October and called her actions “a breach of trust against democracy.” That request was denied too.
From County Clerk to Convicted Felon: How Peters Got Here
Tina Peters was once a popular Republican clerk in Mesa County, winning reelection in 2022 even while under indictment.
Everything changed in 2021 when she allowed a man posing as a surrogate to use a county employee’s security badge to access the Dominion voting system. Hard drive images were later leaked online by election-denial websites claiming to show proof of fraud.
Investigators say Peters orchestrated the breach to help prove Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
A jury convicted her on seven of ten counts in August 2024, including:
- Three counts of attempting to influence a public servant
- Conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation
- First-degree official misconduct
- Violation of duty
In a tear-filled courtroom moment that went viral, Judge Barrett sentenced Peters to nine years, saying she showed “no remorse” and chose “fame over duty.”
Trump Steps In, Colorado Governor Shuts It Down
President Trump has repeatedly called Peters “a warrior” and demanded her release.
In December, he announced he was pardoning her. The move made national headlines until Colorado Governor Jared Polis pointed out a basic fact: presidents can only pardon federal crimes.
Peters is serving a state sentence. Trump’s pardon had zero legal effect.
Still, the gesture fired up her supporters. Fundraising pages exploded. Rallies were held outside the prison. Some wore “Free Tina” shirts and called her America’s most famous political prisoner.
Life Behind Bars and What’s Next
Peters is currently housed at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. Friends say the conditions have been tough on the former clerk, who suffers from health issues.
Her main appeal, arguing the trial was unfair and her actions were protected whistleblowing, is still pending. Legal experts say the bond ruling doesn’t hurt her chances on the merits, but it means she’ll likely serve years before the appeals court rules.
If the Colorado Court of Appeals upholds the conviction, she can ask the state Supreme Court to take the case. After that, her options run out.
One supporter who attended every day of trial told me outside court this week: “They’re keeping her locked up to send a message. Tina exposed the truth, and they’re terrified of what she knows.”
Whether you see Tina Peters as a criminal who attacked democracy or a patriot who asked uncomfortable questions, one thing is clear: her story is far from over.
But for now, the prison gates stay closed.
What do you think? Is nine years fair, or is Tina Peters paying the price for challenging the system? Drop your thoughts below, and if you’re sharing on social media, use #FreeTina or #TinaPeters so others can find the conversation.
