Colorado Governor Jared Polis has ordered that Tina Peters be released from prison on June 1. The former Mesa County clerk had been sentenced to nine years in prison. Polis in January had said that he was considering clemency for Peters.

Polis told the Colorado Sun, “She, because of her incorrect and unpopular speech, got an unduly harsh sentence.” He added, “I’m not pardoning her. I publicly have said very early on I would not even consider a pardon. She’s a convicted felon. She deserves to be a convicted felon. She will remain a convicted felon.”

This is a breaking story.