What criminal charges has Tina Peters faced since 2024 and in which jurisdictions were they filed?
Executive summary
Tina Peters was criminally charged and convicted in Colorado state court in 2024 for actions tied to a 2021 breach of Mesa County election equipment; a jury found her guilty on seven of 10 counts, including three felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and a judge later sentenced her to nine years in prison [1] [2] [3]. Reporting indicates these proceedings and sentences were in Colorado’s 21st Judicial District (Mesa County), and subsequent 2025 reporting shows federal actors have sought custody-transfer options while state officials oppose such moves [4] [5] [6].
1. The charges that led to the 2024 convictions: what jurors found
In August 2024 a Mesa County jury convicted Peters on seven of 10 criminal charges connected to an elections-office security breach; convictions included three felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first‑degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state — while she was acquitted on some other felony counts, including identity theft and certain criminal impersonation counts [1] [7] [3].
2. Where the case was filed and tried: Colorado state court, Mesa County
All of the criminal charges and the August 2024 trial occurred in Colorado state court — specifically Mesa County (the 21st Judicial District) in Grand Junction, Colorado — where Peters served as county clerk and where prosecutors pursued the case [1] [4] [8].
3. Sentence and immediate custody: nine years and state detention
Following the guilty verdicts, a state judge in October 2024 sentenced Peters to nine years in prison and ordered fines; news outlets reported she was taken into custody by Colorado authorities after sentencing [2] [9] [3].
4. Allegations underlying the charges: unauthorized access and aiding a breach
Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from Peters allowing misuse of a county security card and giving a man access to Mesa County’s election system in May 2021, enabling copying of voting-machine data — conduct framed by prosecutors as a willful compromise of secured election equipment [8] [7].
5. Acquittals and counts not proven at trial
Reporting notes Peters was acquitted on at least two felony counts of criminal impersonation and one felony identity-theft charge; she nonetheless was convicted on multiple other counts, some felonies and some misdemeanors [7] [9].
6. Post-conviction developments in jurisdictional custody disputes
In 2025 coverage documents efforts by supporters and federal actors to move Peters from Colorado state custody into federal custody while she appeals her state convictions; the federal Bureau of Prisons formally requested transfer in November 2025, but Colorado officials and prosecutors urged the governor to deny transfer requests, and the state Department of Corrections indicated it would not respond to the federal request — keeping jurisdiction and custody at the state level for now [5] [6] [10].
7. What reporting does and does not say about other jurisdictions
Available sources do not mention any federal criminal charges filed against Peters as of these reports; all criminal convictions and the underlying prosecution described in the provided reporting are state charges filed and adjudicated in Mesa County, Colorado [1] [4] [6]. Sources also do not document criminal filings in other states or federal indictments in the materials supplied [1] [11].
8. Competing narratives and political context
Prosecutors and state officials framed the case as a breach that endangered election security and abused Peters’ official authority [9] [8]. Peters and her supporters have asserted political motivation, petitioned for federal involvement, and sought federal custody or intervention; those efforts prompted public debate and a push from conservative allies — including appeals to federal authorities — while Colorado’s Attorney General and the district attorney who prosecuted the case opposed federal transfer and defended the state prosecution [12] [5] [13].
9. Limitations and what to watch next
These sources cover the state prosecution, convictions, sentencing, and subsequent custody dispute through late 2025, but they do not report any federal criminal indictment of Peters or criminal filings in other jurisdictions [4] [6]. Follow-up reporting would be needed to learn whether federal prosecutors open a separate criminal case, whether any governor’s pardon or commutation is sought, or whether the Department of Justice pursues different charges; current reporting only documents state filings and the state-court conviction and sentence [11] [6].