First Amendment

Colorado Supreme Court reverses appeals court ruling that CFOIC, news associations argued would chill attorneys’ speech about class-action suits

A Denver attorney’s comments to the press about a federal class-action lawsuit were protected by the litigation privilege, which immunizes a lawyer who makes allegedly defamatory statements related to a civil court case, the Colorado Supreme Court decided, reversing a 2021 ruling by the Court of Appeals.





Wrap-up: Colorado legislature again shuns CORA cost reform in 2023 session but removes some obstacles for records requesters

Despite a looming inflationary increase in fees, state lawmakers in the 2023 legislative session never addressed the often-high cost of obtaining public records in Colorado but did vote to eliminate some nagging obstacles for users of the Colorado Open Records Act.





COA ruling chills speech ‘that allows the media to keep the public informed,’ CFOIC, news associations argue in Colorado Supreme Court brief

A 2021 Colorado Court of Appeals opinion on what lawyers can tell the press about pending class-action lawsuits will chill “legitimate speech that allows the media to keep the public informed on matters of significant public concern,” the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and news associations argue in a brief filed recently with the Colorado Supreme Court.