{"id":12074,"date":"2026-03-18T15:51:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/tina-peters-found-not-guilty-of-assaulting-inmate-in-january-scuffle\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T19:23:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:23:28","slug":"tina-peters-found-not-guilty-of-assaulting-inmate-in-january-scuffle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/tina-peters-found-not-guilty-of-assaulting-inmate-in-january-scuffle\/","title":{"rendered":"Tina Peters found not guilty of assaulting inmate in January scuffle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"FILE
FILE \u2013 Tina Peters, former Mesa County, Colo., clerk, listens during her trial, March 3, 2023, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Scott Crabtree\/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP, Pool, File)<\/span>(Scott Crabtree\/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP, Pool, File)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year sentence for her role in tampering with Mesa County\u2019s election equipment in search of election fraud, was found not guilty of assault after shoving another inmate last January in state prison.<\/p>\n

She was found guilty for the lesser charge of \u201cunauthorized absence\u201d after being in a restricted area where she was not assigned, Corrections Department spokeswoman Alondra Gonzalez-Garcia said. It\u2019s not a criminal charge, but instead an internal process used to address behavior.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez-Garcia said the determination was made after reviewing evidence, including video footage, medical anatomical forms for both inmates involved, and witness testimony.<\/p>\n

One of Peter\u2019s attorneys, John Case, said Peters was acting in self-defense, after the \u201cinitial punch\u201d was thrown by the other inmate.<\/p>\n

Peters has appealed the charge of \u201cunauthorized absence,\u201d according to Case. He claimed that Peters believed inmates were allowed in that area to fill the swamp cooler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were wrong because it was authorized for inmates to go over there,\u201d Case said. \u201cIt was common knowledge. And Tina presented a witness who testified to that.\u201d The Department of Corrections disagreed.<\/p>\n

Peters had previously received at least four negative write-ups from prison officials for minor offenses, The Denver Post<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n

In surveillance video footage of the incident obtained by CPR News, Peters grabbed another inmate\u2019s neck. The video shows Peters dragging a cart across the room toward a closet. Another inmate walks toward the closet and appears to move the cart away from the closet door. Peters then emerges from the closet, grabs the inmate by her neck, and pushes her. The two appear to exchange words before Peters lets her go and leaves the room.<\/p>\n

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