By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’ time in Larimer County Jail is taking a toll, according to her legal team and supporters. They say she’s experiencing memory loss, declining health and mistreatment—claims that have only fueled concerns about her condition.
With growing pressure on Governor Jared Polis to grant a pardon, Peters’ case is becoming a test of justice, fairness and political influence in Colorado.
Attorney John Case, who has been visiting Peters regularly, described noticeable changes in her health since she was taken into custody.
“I visit Tina approximately weekly, the most recent visit was Sunday, March 16. I notice that Tina has difficulty with memory and word finding, compared to her cognitive ability before she was incarcerated. She has lost 10 pounds, and her complexion looks more pale than before. She is fatigued, probably because lights are on 24/7 in the jail and it is difficult to sleep. Those are my observations, based on what I observed before and what I see now. I can’t speak to what others claim to observe,” Case said.
Paralegal Linda Good, who has also made regular visits to Peters, filed an affidavit on February 21, detailing similar concerns. Good’s observations include significant weight loss, chronic fatigue, dizziness and unsteady movement.
“Ms. Peters’ health is in a drastic downward spiral. She is experiencing migraine headaches for the first time in her life. She is often dizzy and unsteady on her feet,” Good stated in the affidavit.
She also described Peters struggling with cognitive decline.
“Her cognitive abilities are in rapid decline. When speaking with her on a regular basis as I have, it is quite noticeable that she is struggling to keep on one subject in a conversation. She struggles to complete a sentence trying to find a simple word that should be in her regular vocabulary. And she repeats herself on a regular basis,” Good wrote.
According to Good’s affidavit, Peters has been subjected to frequent cell transfers, poor sleeping conditions and inadequate medical care. She claims these factors are contributing to Peters’ declining health.
“Ms. Peters has been restricted as a bottom tier inmate to prevent her from traversing the metal stairs and climbing up onto the top bunk without a ladder due to her age and declining health. She has been moved from cell to cell at least 8 times, which is causing her anxiety to grow,” Good stated.
Case also pointed to the conditions in the jail as a possible reason for Peters’ fatigue, specifically that lights remain on 24/7.
Good and Peters’ legal team have raised concerns that her treatment inside the jail may be linked to her ongoing legal efforts. In her affidavit, Good describes an incident on February 19 when Peters was strip-searched and removed from her cell following a raid by multiple guards.
“Most recently, on February 19, while I was with Ms. Peters reviewing some documents, eight guards descended upon her pod wearing their black latex gloves. Ms. Peters said, ‘This isn’t going to be good. They are going to raid someone,’” Good shared.
“They proceeded to raid the pod including Ms. Peters’ cell. Ms. Peters has no contraband. They removed Ms. Peters from the pod in handcuffs and brought her down to booking where she had to undergo the indignity of a strip search. They found nothing, nor did they the first two times they strip-searched a 69-year-old non-violent, first-time offender with no history of drugs. No other inmate was brought out in handcuffs or strip-searched during this raid on the pod,” she wrote.
Good suggested the timing of these incidents was not a coincidence.
“Twice in one week she is written up, threatened with lockdown, raided and strip-searched,” Good stated, adding that Peters had recently filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus prior to these events.
Attorney Patrick McSweeney, who has been working on Peters’ appeal, said her health and legal circumstances are deeply troubling.
“Based on my numerous telephone conversations with Ms. Peters and reports from others who have visited her recently, I am gravely concerned about her health and her mental condition. She has been subjected to conditions and targeted treatment that are unacceptable,” McSweeney stated.
“Her nine-year sentence is utterly unacceptable for a woman of 69 years for violations that are non-violent and subject to challenge on appeal,” he added.
McSweeney further argued that Peters’ sentencing violates her First Amendment rights.
“Her sentence also violates the First Amendment because it was expressly based on the exercise of her protected speech under the free speech clause,” McSweeney stated.
The Colorado Republican Party is urging Governor Jared Polis to grant Peters a pardon, arguing that her declining health and the conditions of her incarceration warrant immediate intervention.
In a March 17 message to supporters, the GOP framed the issue as a humanitarian crisis.
“We are asking for leniency from Governor Polis, and consideration for the reality of her worsening condition,” the GOP statement read.
“Even public media like Kyle Clark of Channel 9 news expressed their shock at such a harsh sentence to this grandmother,” the message continued.
The party has called on supporters to contact Governor Polis and demand action before Peters’ health worsens further.
The Colorado GOP has provided contact information for Governor Polis, urging the public to request a pardon for Peters.
Supporters are encouraged to email Governor Polis at [email protected] or call his office at (202) 225-4761, (720) 639-9165, or (970) 702-2136.
The party has emphasized that all communications should remain respectful.