douglas county
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Douglas County seeks state Supreme Court review in open meeting case
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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…
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Colorado counties cannot challenge state law restricting immigration contracts, appeals court says
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Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday that counties lack standing to challenge a 2023 state law that restricts their ability to contract with the federal government or private entities for immigration detention. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed with a trial judge that the Colorado Constitution provides the legislature with broad power to enact…
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Appeals Court rules Douglas County violated open meeting laws
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The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Douglas County Commissioners violated Colorado open meeting laws in a series of closed meetings leading up to the county’s failed home rule special election. The Thursday ruling reversed a trial court’s denial of a preliminary injunction, finding the meetings were subject to open meeting laws and plaintiffs demonstrated…
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Douglas County task force targets development regulations
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Douglas County kicked off its first Red Tape Reduction Task Force Thursday aimed at speeding up commercial and industrial development timelines in the county, a move leaders said is necessary to keep the county competitive with other regions nationwide. The task force will review the county’s development and regulatory processes to identify permitting “hurdles” in…
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Newly formed PAC promises a stronger voice for southern Colorado businesses
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A new political action committee has launched in southern Colorado, aiming to strengthen and elevate the voices of local businesses and their regional influence on state-level policy. Over the last two years, the Colorado Legislature has enacted more than 1,000 new laws that have burdened businesses with added costs and excessive regulations, and several more…
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Appeals court says jury not obligated to apply discounts to determine value of stolen merch
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Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Thursday that it was up to a Douglas County jury to determine the value of stolen merchandise at a defendant’s theft trial, after both sides presented different estimates of the items’ value. Under state law, a theft offense hinges on the market value of the stolen goods. Anything below $2,000…
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Error-prone Douglas County judge triggers another reversal of criminal convictions
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Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s Douglas County convictions on Thursday due to the error of a judge whose actions have triggered a disproportionate number of reversals to convictions and sentences in recent years. Since 2021, the Court of Appeals has found problems in multiple criminal cases handled by former District Court Judge Patricia Herron.…
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Douglas County commissioners approve shoplifting ordinance despite pushback
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The Board of Douglas County Commissioners approved an ordinance Tuesday afternoon that will mandate businesses report suspected shoplifting crimes. The ordinance, a highly-debated measure that has been in the works for over a year, was unanimously adopted by the three-commissioner board despite considerable pushback from community members, some of whom sarcastically noted their concerns during…
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GoFundMe donations for victim do not lessen defendant’s restitution obligation, appeals court rules
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Donations made to a victim’s crowdfunding page do not necessarily reduce the defendant’s obligation to pay crime victim restitution, Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Thursday. Under state law, crime victim compensation boards reimburse victims for certain monetary losses, including funeral costs, medical expenditures, and property damage. Prosecutors may, in turn, seek restitution payments from the…
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DougCo deputy fired after DUI, careless driving arrest
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A Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy was fired Friday after he was arrested by Parker Police the previous weekend. Andrew Sanders faces charges of driving under the influence, careless driving, assault on a police officer and obstruction in relation to a traffic stop just before 8 p.m. Feb. 7, according to a Friday news release from…