That’s the motto for Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.
Commemorated March 15-21, the weeklong event aims to ensure and protect the public’s right to know, a constitutional protection afforded via the First Amendment.
In Cortez, the 22nd Judicial District and Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker topped the list for openness in the past year.
In December, The Cortez Journal requested unprecedented media access to the court. In a previous order, Walker had barred anyone from using a computer, laptop or cellphone device inside the courtroom.
The Journal was subsequently granted permission to use a laptop in order to send electronic communications. The district’s first live courtroom update came via Twitter, which stated, “70 jurors summoned to decide fate of man charged with stabbing #CortezCO police officer. Voir dire process about to start #FrenchTrial.”
In January, the court approved a similar request during the trial of a convicted sex offender.
The City of Cortez also deserves credit, despite initial reluctance to approve a Dec. 12, 2014, media request. The Journal requested all performance evaluations, internal affairs investigations and employment agreements of eight Cortez Police Department officers connected to the arrest of mentally disturbed man.
In a reply from City Attorney Mike Green five days later, the request was questioned, because it was unsigned and not typed on official letterhead. Green also informed the newspaper that it would be charged $25 per hour for record retrieval, and a required deposit of $200 was necessary before human resources officials would start the retrieval process.
The Journal requested a nominal fee according to Sunshine Law guidelines on Jan. 6, 2015, and three days later, received the public documents free of charge.
The documents revealed that a patrol officer involved in a “Make My Day” case was reprimanded for displaying “uncontrolled anger” and “purposely” destroying city property in a “fit of rage.”
The officer was ordered to seek mandatory counseling once a week until he was “able to control” his anger issues.
The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school district has been reluctant to share public information.
On Jan. 28, the Journal requested that the newspaper be provided copies of all public documents submitted at school board meetings.
That same day, Superintendent Alex Carter responded that the media request was impossible, citing there were “too many moving pieces” and “the environment too fluid” to provide photocopies.
The informing Carter that any document submitted to the board for its consideration automatically becomes public record. The reporter stated, “I don’t think making 8 copies instead of 7 is too much to ask.”
Since that email exchange, Re-1 officials have yet to provide media copies of submitted materials at board meeting, but they have sent copies via email after follow-up requests by reporters.
[email protected]
