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.
Steve Zansberg
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.
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.
Residents’ lawsuit seeks to hold Elbert County commissioners personally liable for privately approving administrator and attorney contracts
The Elbert County commissioners should be held personally liable for unlawfully approving new contracts for the county administrator and county attorney outside of public view and ordered to reimburse Elbert’s treasury for those expenditures, a lawsuit filed by five residents says.
Court of Appeals stays release of blurred body-cam video showing Lakewood police shooting 17-year-old robbery suspect
The Colorado Court of Appeals has stayed a judge’s order to disclose blurred body-worn camera footage of Lakewood police officers shooting and killing a 17-year-old robbery suspect, pending the outcome of an appeal by the city.
Colorado Supreme Court will examine ‘public interest’ parameters of anti-SLAPP law
The state’s highest court announced it will examine the “public interest” parameters of a 2019 statute designed to protect Coloradans from meritless lawsuits that target free expression.
McIntyre and Wiggins merit CFOIC’s Jean Otto award for their ‘dogged and dog-inspired’ reporting
The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition presented its Jean Otto Friend of Freedom Award to Erin McIntyre and Mike Wiggins, owners and co-publishers of the weekly Ouray County Plaindealer since 2019.
Elbert County residents say commissioners violated open meetings law by privately approving administrator and attorney contracts
Elbert County commissioners violated the Colorado Open Meetings Law by approving new contracts for the county administrator and county attorney in private, a group of residents alleged in a letter.
State Supreme Court to review child abuse statistics case won on appeal by Colorado Sun and 9NEWS
The Colorado Supreme Court will review an appellate court opinion that the Colorado Children’s Code doesn’t necessarily prohibit the state Department of Human Services from publicly releasing aggregate statistics about child-abuse hotline calls made from licensed residential care facilities.
How the Ouray County Plaindealer successfully fought ‘excessive’ redactions in police internal affairs records
Despite a 2019 state statute requiring the public disclosure of police internal affairs files in Colorado, the town of Ouray for months released only heavily blacked-out copies of records concerning excessive-force allegations against officers.