Colorado justices reject media request for police officer records on narrow grounds
By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics
At the same time the Colorado Supreme Court found that two media outlets were properly denied access to records bearing on police officers' misconduct, it declined to endorse an interpretation of state law that would have enabled non-law enforcement entities to shield their documents by labeling themselves "criminal justice agencies."
Instead, the justices on Monday concluded that label applies to one particular licensing agency, the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board. As a result, POST's records certifying and decertifying law enforcement officers are subject to more stringent disclosure guidelines.
Previously, the state's Court of Appeals concluded POST met the definition of a criminal justice agency. However, the appellate c...