The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a petition from Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, who sought to have her felony convictions overturned. This decision by the state’s highest court means that Peters’ convictions will stand, following an earlier ruling by a state appeals court. The Supreme Court's refusal to review the case comes months after Peters walked free from prison.
Peters was convicted in 2024 of several felonies. The convictions stemmed from her actions while serving as Mesa County Clerk, where she allowed individuals identified as election deniers to access local voting systems. This access was granted in what was described as a search for voter fraud, occurring after President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Following her convictions, Peters was initially sentenced to nine years in prison.
The case involving the former Mesa County clerk garnered national attention. President Donald Trump publicly pushed for Democratic Governor Jared Polis to pardon Peters. Trump also reportedly attempted to pardon her himself, but a president does not have the authority to pardon individuals convicted on state charges. Furthermore, the Trump administration faced accusations of targeting Colorado with funding cuts, a response reportedly tied to Governor Polis's refusal to pardon Peters.
In April, a state appeals court issued a significant ruling concerning Peters’ case. The appeals court upheld her convictions for the felonies. However, it also ruled to set aside her initial sentence. The basis for tossing out the sentence was an improper consideration of Peters’ right to exercise free speech. Despite the appeals court's decision on her sentence, the convictions themselves remained intact.
With the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent decision to not hear her petition, the legal path for Peters to overturn her convictions appears to be closed. The action on Monday reinforces the appeals court's earlier determination that her convictions were valid, even as the severity of her initial punishment was re-evaluated. This brings a significant development in a case that has closely involved Mesa County's election processes and its former top election official. The judicial process, from conviction to an appeals court ruling and now the Supreme Court's decline to review, has reaffirmed the legal findings against Peters for her actions related to local voting systems.
