Here’s why the cost of a statewide CoCourts search just went up 43 percent
Some Colorado journalists were surprised and disappointed in early January to see that the fee for a statewide search on CoCourts.com had jumped from $7 to $10.
CFOIC
CFOIC, journalist groups urge Colorado Judicial Branch to retain free, online access to civil court records
Free remote access to civil court records for all Coloradans has been a rare positive outgrowth of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we applaud the Colorado Judicial Branch for taking that important step.
New judicial branch standard for sealing or suppressing criminal court records ‘increases transparency and builds public trust’
The Colorado Supreme Court’s adoption of a statewide standard for sealing and suppressing court records in criminal cases “is an extremely positive development that increases transparency and builds public trust in our judicial branch,” said Steve Zansberg, a First Amendment attorney and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
News site’s lawsuit seeks records of company that manages sports licensing for CU Boulder
Records of the company managing the University of Colorado Boulder’s sports licensing and sponsorship agreements should be open for public inspection, the owner of a college sports news organization contends in a lawsuit.
CFOIC’s holiday wish list
All we want for Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanzaa (besides world peace, an end to the pandemic and less partisan rancor) are better open-government laws for Coloradans.
Can a home-rule city’s charter override the Colorado Open Meetings Law?
When the Fort Collins City Council went into an executive session Oct. 20, the announced purpose was to discuss “broadband issues,” a topic not expressly authorized in the Colorado Open Meetings Law for closed-door deliberations.
Court of Appeals: Colorado ethics commission not subject to CORA or state open meetings law
Neither the Colorado Open Records Act nor the Colorado Open Meetings Law applies to the constitutionally created state commission that investigates allegations of ethical misconduct involving public officials, the Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled.
CFOIC report: It’s time to reevaluate CORA’s ‘unbalanced’ research-and-retrieval fee provision
This may come as a surprise to Coloradans who have been quoted hundreds or thousands of dollars by cities, state agencies, school districts and other government entities for “research and retrieval” in response to their public records requests: Not every state allows such charges.
Colorado Supreme Court holds public hearing on proposed rule for sealing and suppressing criminal court records
The Colorado Supreme Court moved closer to possibly adopting a statewide standard for guiding judges’ decisions to seal or suppress court records in criminal cases.
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department’s records fee policy ‘quite plainly in violation of CORA’
Not only is a $50-per-record research fee not authorized in CORA, the building department’s public records policy makes no mention of providing a free hour to requesters. That is an “unequivocal violation of CORA,” said Steve Zansberg, a First Amendment lawyer and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. The department’s justification for its research-and-retrieval fee is “simply lacking in any legal basis,” he added.