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The judge did not hold back, and the internet thanked him.
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a vocal figure in the MAGA movement, was sentenced to nine years behind bars on Thursday, with Colorado Judge Matthew Barrett delivering a scathing condemnation of her actions. Peters, 68, was convicted of tampering with voting equipment and spreading false claims of election fraud, part of a broader effort to undermine trust in the 2020 presidential election.
“You are no hero. You abused your position, and you’re a charlatan who used and is still using, your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that’s been proven to be junk time and time again,” Barrett told Peters in court. His remarks came before sentencing her to a combination of state prison and county jail time.
The case stems from Peters’ unauthorized access to Mesa County’s voting equipment as a clerk. She gained national attention as a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s false claims about election fraud, particularly surrounding Dominion Voting Systems, which have been repeatedly proven to be secure and accurate.
Throughout the trial and her sentencing, Peters maintained her innocence. Before her sentence was handed down, she tearfully asked for probation, citing her desire to continue caring for her elderly mother in Virginia. “I’m not a criminal, and I don’t deserve to go into a prison where other people have committed heinous crimes,” she said, invoking the memory of her son, a Navy SEAL who died in the line of duty, and showing the court pictures of her late husband. She also claimed to have remorse, telling the judge, “I’m remorseful. Yes, sir, I really am,” before deflecting responsibility.
However, Barrett was unmoved, saying, “I’m convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You’re as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen.” He described Peters’ continued denials and false claims as harmful to the community, remarking, “You crave this attention, ma’am. In your world, it’s all about you. This case was about your corrupt conduct and how no one is above the law.”
The trial highlighted the extent of Peters’ involvement in compromising voting equipment in Mesa County. Prosecutors laid out how Peters and others orchestrated a plan to give unauthorized access to a man who then copied sensitive election data. That data later surfaced online at a symposium organized by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent election denier.
The judge also addressed the damage Peters had caused to the county’s reputation. “People from across Colorado and other states now associate Mesa County, not with our natural beauty or agriculture, but with the infamous actions of Ms. Peters. Her behavior has made this county a national laughing stock.”
Barrett also noted the broader implications of Peters’ actions. “You have no respect for the checks and balances of government. You have no respect for this court. You have no respect for law enforcement, and you do not have respect for your fellow colleagues,” he said. He rejected Peters’ claims that she was simply doing her job. “At the end of the day, you cared about the jets, the podcast, and the people fawning over you,” he said. “You abdicated your position as a servant to the constitution and chose you over all else.”
In addition to the financial toll on Mesa County, Barrett emphasized the deeper harm caused by Peters’ actions, equating it to the impact of physical violence. “The damage that is caused and continues to be caused is just as bad, if not worse, than the physical violence this court sees on a regular basis,” he said, noting that Peters’ continued spread of misinformation about elections posed a danger to democracy.
Barrett sentenced Peters to three and a half years for four counts, to run concurrently, and an additional three and a half years for one count, to run consecutively. She also received shorter sentences for several misdemeanors, including six months in county jail, bringing her total sentence to nine years. The judge also ruled that she will serve three years of parole following her prison term.
Barrett’s words underscored the gravity of her actions: “You betrayed your oath for no one other than you. And this is what makes Ms. Peters such a danger to our community.”
People on X, formerly Twitter, praised the judge and shared videos of his remarks.
“If you’ve been frustrated by the slow pace of prosecution for those in charge of the Big Lie, you may get some satisfaction, as I did, in hearing the judge lecture Tina Peters as he sentences her,” one person wrote.
