Colorado Appeals Court Upholds Tina Peters' Conviction, Orders Resentencing

The United States===Colorado Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters for her role in a scheme to copy election computer systems to prove 2020 election fraud. However, the court ruled that her nine-year prison sentence was wrongly imposed because the original judge, Matthew Barrett, considered her protected free speech during sentencing. The case has been sent back to a lower court for resentencing, which could lead to Peters' release. The appeals court also explicitly rejected Donald Trump's attempts to pardon Peters for state crimes, affirming that a presidential pardon does not extend to state-level offenses. United States===Colorado officials, including Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser, have resisted pressure from Donald Trump regarding Peters' release, leading to accusations of a 'revenge campaign' against the state.