Rejecting news organizations’ appeal, Colorado Supreme Court keeps police officer database confidential
A ruling by the state’s highest court means that the bulk of Colorado’s licensing database of law enforcement officers will remain confidential.
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Elbert County residents lack standing to hold commissioners personally liable for alleged open meetings violations, judge says
A judge tossed out one claim from a lawsuit that was aimed at holding Elbert County commissioners personally liable for approving new contracts for the county administrator and county attorney outside of public view.
Here’s how Colorado’s autopsy report disclosure law is changing on Jan. 1
Starting Jan. 1, journalists and the public no longer will have access to most autopsy reports on the deaths of children in Colorado but limited information from those reports will be available.
Colorado Supreme Court affirms a litigant’s right to use CORA to obtain public records, but two justices object
People who sue state and local government entities are still entitled to get public records from those entities by using the Colorado Open Records Act, a majority of the Colorado Supreme Court ruled.
Court of Appeals: Disciplinary records of Colorado school administrators are off-limits to the public
A Denver Gazette reporter is not entitled to inspect the disciplinary records of Denver school administrators because a state statute protects the confidentiality of educator evaluations and all documents “used in preparing” those reports, the Colorado Court of Appeals decided.
Is the Aurora Sentinel a ‘citizen’ entitled to attorney fees for winning an open meetings law case?
The Colorado Supreme Court is examining whether a newspaper is considered a “citizen” and therefore entitled to attorney fees when prevailing in open meetings lawsuits.
Taking another look at Ohio’s low-cost process for resolving open records disputes
In 2018, this blog reported on a then-two-year-old process in Ohio that gives requesters of public records a low-cost way to fight denials in court. A new research paper prepared for the National Freedom of Information Coalition looks at how well the process works.
CFOIC brief: Eliminating penalties for ‘cured’ violations ‘eviscerates’ enforcement of open meetings law
Public bodies must not be permitted to “cure” infringements of the Colorado Open Meetings Law without being held accountable to the citizens who file lawsuits to enforce compliance, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition argues in a brief submitted to the state’s highest court.
It’s almost 2025. Why are we still writing checks to pay for public records?
A quarter of the way into the 21st century, should Coloradans still have to write paper checks to pay for public records?
Denver Gazette and DPS argue in Court of Appeals over disclosure of school administrators’ disciplinary records
The Colorado Court of Appeals heard arguments about whether a state law that makes educator evaluation records confidential also shields the disciplinary records of Denver Public Schools administrators.