Colorado Department of Corrections finds Tina Peters not guilty of assaulting inmate

After a physical altercation at a Colorado prison in January, the Colorado Department of Corrections has determined that inmate Tina Peters is not guilty of assaulting another inmate. However, they found her guilty of another offense.

Peters is currently serving a nine-year sentence at the La Vista Correctional Facility. Following the incident, Peters' lawyer said another inmate approached and attacked her while she was filling a bucket with water in a maintenance closet. Video released by the department showed two women in prison outfits in a physical altercation.

The incident prompted an administrative review of the disciplinary case. Following a review of the evidence and a formal hearing on March 10, the department determined that Peters was not guilty of assaulting an offender. They did find her guilty of an unauthorized absence violation.

Peters, a former county clerk and election denialist, was convicted on multiple charges for allowing unauthorized access to voting machines following the 2020 presidential election. Her case has drawn national attention, including from President Trump and his supporters, who have argued that her sentence was too harsh.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons requested that she be transferred into federal custody in Nov. 2025, a move which the Colorado County Clerks Association argued against. Afterward, the president pardoned Peters, but presidential pardons don't apply to state charges, and she remained in state custody.

In March, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he intends to review her clemency case, a move that received opposition from Democratic Colorado lawmakers.