Colorado’s paper of record put this one on the front burner. In The Denver Post, reporters Seth Klamann and Nick Coltrain write that Gov. Jared Polis told a TV station Tina Peters’ nine-year sentence is harsh and that he is looking at revisiting it, potentially via commutation. Several elected officials have already urged him not to, and the governor’s office is keeping its powder dry publicly.
The Post notes Peters, 70, is serving time in Pueblo after her 2024 conviction tied to unauthorized access to Mesa County’s election system. The trial judge cited her lack of remorse. Trump’s attempt at a pardon was irrelevant because these are state crimes. Polis previously waved that off as a court matter, but now says he looks at sentences, particularly for elderly inmates, through a threat-to-society lens.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Polis called the nine-year sentence harsh and says he is considering commutation. That is a rare moment of gubernatorial clarity.
- Democratic officials lined up to say keep her in. Secretary of State Jenna Griswold blasted any hint of mercy as caving to an unhinged president. Decaf, anyone.
- Peters is 70, convicted in 2024, serving time in Pueblo. The judge flagged lack of remorse. Age and actual risk should matter in sentencing reality.
- The feds asked to move her to federal custody. Colorado corrections said no. Politics and posture everywhere, principle in short supply.
- Appeals are ongoing, and the DOJ is probing prison conditions statewide. Maybe fix that while we argue about one inmate.
My Bottom Line
Look at me agreeing with the governor again. I should check my temperature. Yes, Ms. Peters’ sentence is too harsh. In a state that hands out ankle bracelets like party favors to violent offenders, we gave a 70-year-old woman hard time while real threats head home for dinner. That is a justice system with its priorities on sideways.
I am not here to relitigate her case. That verdict belongs to the folks who lived in that courtroom. My point is proportionality. If the standard in Colorado is leniency for the dangerous and theater for the famous, we have it backward. Mercy should not be a partisan privilege; it should be applied where risk is low and time served teaches the lesson.
Where Polis and I part ways is motive. I want justice. He often wants convenience. If he trades President Trump a commutation for another pack of wolves (literally), do not pretend it was courage. Call it what it is. Different clowns, same circus.
Source: The Denver Post
