Boulder Reporting Lab: The Colorado Municipal League, which represents nearly every city and town in the state, has joined the City of Boulder in fighting a lawsuit that seeks to compel the city to release police body camera footage of alleged officer misconduct at no cost.

In a legal filing last month, the group argued that requiring cities to turn over footage at no cost “will have a significant detrimental fiscal impact on local governments statewide.” Colorado Counties, Inc. and the County Sheriffs of Colorado also joined as amici curiae. The involvement of these organizations highlights the statewide stakes of a local dispute over the public’s access to police records.

The lawsuit stems from a request by Yellow Scene Magazine for footage of the December 2023 fatal police shooting of Jeannette Alatorre. According to the city’s response, fulfilling the request would require reviewing 267 hours of footage and cost an estimated $8,016.

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