CFOIC’s Zansberg inducted into Colorado Press Association hall of fame
Steve Zansberg, First Amendment attorney and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, is a new member of the Colorado Press Association’s hall of fame.
Articles by jroberts
Bennett trustees’ decision to pull town’s advertising from newspapers ‘egregiously unconstitutional’
A lawyer’s letter urges the Bennett trustees to rescind their “egregiously unconstitutional” decision to pull the town’s advertising from two Eastern Plains newspapers because they didn’t like an article about a sexual assault that allegedly happened at a middle school.
CFOIC/ACLU brief: Fees for bodycam footage not authorized in Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity Act
Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity Act does not permit agencies to charge requesters hundreds or thousands of dollars for body-worn camera footage showing possible misconduct by police officers, three briefs submitted to the Colorado of Appeals argue.
Video pilot for legislative committees begins with briefings about impact of federal tax and spending bill
People who tuned into July 30 state budget briefings for Colorado legislative leaders saw video and slides — rather than just getting an audio feed — as part of a pilot program that goes through Oct. 31.
The legislature made it easier to obtain police bodycam footage in Colorado, but barriers to access remain
Enacted five years ago following the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity Act has made it easier to obtain police body-worn camera footage. But some barriers to access remain.
Colorado Supreme Court protects Title IX complainants from defamation claims
In a landmark ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court declared that statements made in connection with a formal Title IX investigation conducted by a public school district or university cannot serve as the basis for a defamation claim or any other civil tort action.
MuckRock, NFOIC and other leading transparency groups receive $1.25M Press Forward grant to help local journalists obtain government records
The initiative brings together the resources of each organization and connects journalists with the country’s foremost records experts at the state level who have deep, local knowledge of laws, judicial precedents and strategies that can help them overcome challenges.
Appeals court: Children’s Code does not bar public disclosure of blurred body-cam footage showing Lakewood officers killing 17-year-old robbery suspect
Colorado’s Children’s Code does not prohibit the public disclosure of blurred body-worn camera footage of Lakewood police shooting and killing a 17-year-old robbery suspect in 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled.
Colorado Court of Appeals orders dismissal of libel lawsuit against newspaper over ‘furries’ story
The Colorado Court of Appeals ordered the dismissal of a libel case against the Arvada Press because plaintiff Jeffco Kids First failed to show “actual malice” by the newspaper or that statements made in an article by reporter Rylee Dunn “were materially false.”
Should the right to know be enshrined in Colorado’s constitution?
Colorado’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press, broadly stating that “every person shall be free to speak, write or publish whatever he will on any subject.” Should it also guarantee freedom of information?