r/Colorado

The Colorado Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that meetings held by Douglas County commissioners during which they discussed county business were subject to the state’s open meetings law and should have been open to the public.

The ruling stems from an April 2025 lawsuit brought by former Commissioner Lora Thomas, Democratic state Rep. Bob Marshall, who represents Highlands Ranch, and Julie Gooden, an unaffiliated Douglas County voter, against the county.

The trio in their complaint alleged that the commissioners held 13 meetings between Dec. 17, 2024, and April 14, 2025, “to discuss public business without providing notice of such meetings, and without permitting the public to observe those discussions.”