Appeals court upholds body cam ruling against Boulder

Attorney Matt Simonsen (left) presents Yellow Scene’s argument to Court of Appeals judges (left to right) Stephanie Dunn, Gilbert Román and Craig Welling. (Credit: John Eisele, Colorado State University)

Appeals court upholds body cam ruling against Boulder Abby O'Brien

In December 2023, Boulder police fatally shot 51-year-old Jeanette Alatorre, a mentally ill woman who was brandishing a replica gun. After a police misconduct complaint was filed, Yellow Scene Magazine requested body camera footage of the incident and was charged close to $2,900 in fees.

Last week, the Colorado Court of Appeals held that the City of Boulder should not have charged Yellow Scene Magazine for the footage under the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, which passed in 2020. KGNU’s Abby O’Brien spoke to Grata Law and Policy attorney Matt Simonsen, and Yellow Scene’s publisher and founder, Shavonne Blades.

This story aired on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of the Morning Magazine.