Federal Judge Denies Former Colorado Clerk Tina Peters' Release Amid Appeal
A federal magistrate judge has denied a request by former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to be released from prison while she appeals her state conviction. Peters was convicted for orchestrating a data breach scheme related to false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Her legal team argued for her release on bond, citing a violation of her First Amendment rights by the state judge who sentenced her to nine years in prison. The federal judge, Scott Varholak, ruled against intervening in the state case, maintaining that Peters did not present a sufficient case for federal involvement. Peters' conviction has been a point of contention, with supporters like President Trump and Michael Flynn advocating for her release, claiming her actions were in pursuit of exposing election fraud. 
