February 01, 2024 11:12 AM UTC

"Pilled" Cops For Tina Peters, Anyone?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Last month, as readers will recall, supporters of ex-Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, whose trial on a range of felony and other misconduct charges stemming from her failed attempt to prove the 2020 presidential election was somehow compromised is set to begin in a few days after repeated attempts to stall for time, began a daily round of “prayer warfare” on behalf of Peters via conference call–ten minutes each noon beseeching the Almighty to miraculously intervene in Peters’ case. With Peters’ former subordinates lined up to testify against her and Peters having freely admitted to the substance of the allegations while falsely characterizing herself as a “whistleblower,” unless Peters comes to her senses in the next few days and asks for a plea agreement the case is not expected to be close–circumstances in which we would welcome a little help from above, too.

But we’ve just learned that spiritual backup is not the only kind Peters is looking for as her date with justice draws near:

Peters is asking for police officers to show up in court in their uniforms, presumably in order to demonstrate to jurors that Peters’ felony charges of attempting to influence a public servant and identity theft as well as official misconduct are…okay with them? We don’t doubt the existence of a few–maybe more than a few–right-wing peace officers who falsely believe along with a majority of Republicans that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from Donald Trump. But the fact remains that Peters alleged crimes did not uncover any evidence to support the “Big Lie.” Peters’ claim to “whistleblower” status has been tossed out of court, and Peters’ own deputies are key witnesses against her in a case that, if proven, shows an extreme disregard by Peters’ for her official responsibilities.

With all of this in mind, law enforcement officers would be monumental fools to cash in their credibility in defense of Tina Peters by showing up in court in some kind of half-baked attempt to intimidate jurors. You can excuse ordinary citizens for not understanding the charges against Peters or clinging to false justifications for her actions. More is expected from law enforcement, or at least it should be.