Governor Polis Changes Prison Time for Tina Peters

May 15, 2026, 22:40
USPolitics

Introduction

Governor Jared Polis changed the prison time for Tina Peters. She can leave prison on June 1.

Main Body

Tina Peters was a county clerk. In 2021, she let a man look at voting machines. He found secret passwords. A court said she broke the law. Governor Polis said her first prison sentence was too long. He said she did not hurt anyone. He also said she promised to follow the law now. President Trump wanted her to be free. He was angry at Colorado. But some leaders in Colorado are unhappy. They say this is bad for elections.

Conclusion

Tina Peters will stay in prison for four and a half years. She will leave on June 1.

Learning

πŸ•’ Talking About the Past

Look at these words from the story:

  • changed
  • let
  • found
  • said
  • broke

Most of these words end in -ed (like changed). This is the easy way to show something happened before now.

The Tricky Part: Some words change completely!

  • Find β†’\rightarrow Found
  • Say β†’\rightarrow Said
  • Break β†’\rightarrow Broke

πŸ’‘ Quick Tip: "Too"

In the text, it says the sentence was "too long."

Use too when something is more than enough or a problem.

  • The coffee is too hot. (I cannot drink it!)
  • The wait is too long. (I am tired of waiting!)
  • The prison time was too long. (It was unfair!)

πŸ› οΈ Sentence Build

Pattern: [Person] + [Action Word] + [Object]

  1. Governor Polis β†’\rightarrow changed β†’\rightarrow the time.
  2. She β†’\rightarrow broke β†’\rightarrow the law.
  3. He β†’\rightarrow found β†’\rightarrow passwords.

Vocabulary Learning

prison (n.)
a place where people are kept as punishment for a crime
Example:The prison will hold the prisoners for their sentences.
sentence (n.)
a punishment given to a person who has been found guilty of a crime
Example:The sentence for the crime was five years.
law (n.)
a rule made by a government that people must follow
Example:The law must be followed by everyone in the country.
clerk (n.)
a person who works in an office and keeps records
Example:The clerk signed the papers before the meeting.
voting (n.)
the act of choosing a candidate or decision in an election
Example:Voting is an important part of a democracy.
secret (adj.)
something that is kept hidden or not known
Example:The secret password was hidden in a note.
angry (adj.)
feeling or showing annoyance or displeasure
Example:He was angry when he heard the bad news.
unhappy (adj.)
not happy or satisfied
Example:The leaders were unhappy with the decision.
elections (n.)
a process where people choose leaders or decide on issues
Example:The elections will take place next month.
stay (v.)
to remain in a place for a period of time
Example:She will stay in prison for four and a half years.