Governor Polis Will Likely Grant Clemency to Tina Peters

by M Dowling,Independent Sentinel:

Colorado Governor Polis will set Tina Peters free after a year, ending her nine-year prison sentence. He says he’s doing this because a friend of his was sentenced to only probation and community service for the same felony charge.

Realizing this sentencing disparity, he’s probably decided to grant her clemency in the next few weeks.

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Last week, former State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted of four felonies, including Attempt to Influence a Public Official. She made a horrible mistake, and she was wrong. I hope she learns from this and can rebuild her life. As someone who has known Sonya as a friend for many years, on a personal level, I was glad to hear she isn’t going to prison, which is a hard place for anyone, no less a retired 68-year-old pharmacist.

But it is not lost on me that she was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters—attempting to influence a public official—and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first-time offender, got a nine-year sentence. Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly; you never know when you might need to depend on the rule of law. This is the context I am using as I consider cases like this that have sentencing disparities, which is why I have extended the deadline for clemency applications until April 3rd. I will be making decisions on these cases throughout the remainder of my governorship.

Tina Peters, 70, has been beaten twice in prison.