The Douglas County Board of Commissioners intends to petition the Colorado Supreme Court to review a recent court decision that found the board had violated the Colorado Open Meeting Law.

The case stems from 11 “closed, unnoticed” meetings held by the county commissioners between December 2024 and April 2025, as well as three executive sessions related to the county’s efforts to hold a home rule special election, according to court documents. 

“Douglas County believes the appellate court’s unusual application of the Colorado Open Meetings Law is inconsistent with the 54-year-old statute,” the county said in an April 9 statement.

On April 2, an appeals court found that a series of meetings held by the county commissioners were subject to and had violated open meeting laws.

Plaintiffs alleged in a 2025 lawsuit that these meetings either failed to notify and allow the public to attend or follow strict statutory requirements for closed meetings. 

“From the beginning, this case has been about a simple but fundamental principle: the public’s business must be conducted in public,” plaintiffs Robert C. Marshall, Lora Thomas, and Julie Gooden said in a statement April 3. 

The appellate court ordered the case to return to trial court where a hearing to determine whether the Board of County Commissioners has continued to violate open meeting laws will be held, according to court documents. 

A trial court had previously decided that the meetings were not subject to open meeting laws and denied an injunction which would have canceled the June 2025 home rule special election, which was rejected by 71% of voters.

In addition to petitioning for review in the Colorado Supreme Court, the County plans to request that the Court of Appeals’ decision be published for the benefit of the public and other local governments, commissioners said. 

“Douglas County remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and adherence to Colorado Open Meeting laws,” county commissioners said in the statement.