Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is set to be released from prison in Colorado on Monday, after Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) commuted her sentence due to concerns it violated free speech rights.Peters was convicted in 2024 on charges of election interference in the 2020 election and sentenced to nine years in prison. Polis commuted her sentence last month, arguing it reflected the Colorado Court of Appeals’ recent ruling that Peters should be resentenced, as her original sentencing was “based in part on improper consideration of the exercise of her right to free speech.”In light of Polis’s action, Peters is scheduled to be released from La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo on Monday, after her case gained national attention and the personal support of President Donald Trump.
“To support the safety and security of our staff, the public, and individuals transitioning back into the community, the CDOC does not publicly release specific release times or logistical details related to any individual releases,” the Colorado Department of Corrections told the Washington Examiner. “This is a standard operational practice that applies consistently to all individuals in CDOC.”
Peters spent 19 months in prison before Polis cut her prison time in half on May 15 and made her parole eligible on June 1. The move came after the president asked for her release, and Peters’s attorneys said she was experiencing serious safety and health issues in prison. The commutation sparked outrage from many Democrats, including state colleagues, who censured him over concerns the commutation “materially harmed the Colorado Democratic Party’s institutional credibility and efforts to defend democratic institutions and election integrity.”
