by WorldTribune Staff, December 9, 2025 Real World News
Tina Peters will remain in a Colorado prison after a federal judge rejected her lawsuit seeking her release.
The 70-year-old Peters, the former Mesa County clerk who was convicted in August 2024 of attempting to breach voting systems in supporting President Donald Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election results, was sentenced to nine years in prison by a state jury.
In her lawsuit, Peters argued that her free speech rights had been violated, but Judge Scott Varholak rejected the move on Monday.
“Ms. Peters raises important constitutional questions concerning whether the trial court improperly punished her more severely because of her protected First Amendment speech,” Varholak wrote. “But because this question remains pending before Colorado courts, this Court must abstain from answering that question until after the Colorado courts have decided the issue.”
Peters’ petition was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be filed again at a later date.
Trump has urged Colorado to release Peters but can’t pardon her as she was convicted on state charges.
In May of this year, Trump wrote on Truth Social:
“Tina is an innocent Political Prisoner being horribly and unjustly punished in the form of Cruel and Unusual Punishment. This is a Communist persecution by the Radical Left Democrats to cover up their Election crimes and misdeeds in 2020. The same Democrat Party that flies to El Salvador to try to free an MS-13 Terrorist, is cruelly imprisoning, perhaps for life, a grandmother whose brave and heroic son gave his life for America.
“Colorado must end this unjust incarceration of an innocent American.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has vowed not to pardon Peters as any part of a deal with Trump, saying he would not participate in “any scheme to prevent her from being held accountable under Colorado law.”
Federal judge refuses to release Tina Peters from Colorado prison added by Editor Two on
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