Tina Peters, former Colorado clerk, sentenced to 9 years behind bars in election interference case

Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to 8-and-a-half years in jail and extra time to be served within the Mesa County Detention Middle for a complete of 9 years incarceration on Thursday. She was convicted on 7 of 10 counts in her Colorado election interference case in August.

In her trial, the jury discovered Peters responsible of three counts of making an attempt to affect a public servant, one depend of conspiracy to commit prison impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of responsibility and failing to adjust to Colorado’s Secretary of State. She was acquitted of an extra depend of prison impersonation, a cost of conspiracy to commit prison impersonation and an identification theft cost. 

Choose Barrett sentenced Peters to eight-and-a-half years within the Colorado Division of Corrections for counts one, two, 4, and 6, and the extra time within the Mesa County Detention Middle for counts eight, 9 and 10. 

Peters had pleaded not responsible to all counts in 2022. The costs stemmed from Peters permitting a county safety card to be misused to provide a person entry to the Mesa County election system and for deceiving different officers about that man’s identification. That man was affiliated with My Pillow chief government Mike Lindell. Lindell is a outstanding promoter of false claims that voting machines have been manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Throughout her sentencing listening to on Thursday, Peters spoke for 40 minutes and used the chance to current proof that was dominated inadmissible throughout her trial. She additionally broke down into tears when she talked about how she couldn’t reside in jail due to well being points.

“I did my finest to serve this county and I hope you discover it in your coronary heart to not sentence me to… I do not should be in jail. I can do much more good, much more good out serving to individuals,” mentioned Peters. “If you happen to inform me to not discuss in regards to the election, I will not discuss in regards to the election.”  

Earlier than he handed down his sentence, Choose Barrett instructed Peters that she by no means took her job as clerk significantly. He additionally admonished her for her refusal to confess wrongdoing or present regret for her actions. 

“You are as defiant as a defendant that this court docket has ever seen,” mentioned Choose Barrett. “You are as privileged as they arrive.”

Along with her incarceration, Barrett additionally imposed a $2,000 wonderful for counts one, two, 4 and 6 and a $1,000 wonderful for counts 9 and 10. 

Peters was instantly taken into custody and escorted to the Mesa County Detention Middle the place she is going to start serving her sentence. She has 21 days to attraction her sentence. 

Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued the next assertion: Tina Peters has been sentenced to 9 years of incarceration for her harmful makes an attempt to interrupt into her personal election gear to show Trump’s ‘Massive Lie.’ We won’t enable anybody to threaten our elections. Colorado’s elections are the nation’s gold customary. I’m pleased with how we’ve responded to the primary insider elections breach within the nation, and stay up for one other safe and profitable election in November.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors mentioned Peters was in search of fame and have become “fixated” on voting issues after turning into concerned with those that had questioned the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election outcomes.

The case marked the primary prosecution of a neighborhood election official over a suspected safety breach in reference to the 2020 election. 

On the time, Colorado Lawyer Basic Phil Weiser referred to as her conviction a warning that tampering with voting processes will carry penalties.