ASPEN, Colo.—A judge has ordered the town of Basalt to release numerous records to The Aspen Times regarding former Police Chief Roderick O’Connor’s departure.
The Aspen Times reports ( ) Eagle County District Judge Mark Thompson also ordered the town on Monday to pay legal fees—estimated at around $45,000—that the newspaper spent getting the records.
The newspaper sought the records after O’Connor resigned last fall for reasons that were unclear. Town officials approved a nearly $84,000 severance package.
The newspaper later learned there was friction between O’Connor and some employees.
The town had argued that documents concerning O’Connor involve a personnel matter and are therefore private, but the judge ruled there is a valid and legitimate public interest in understanding O’Connor’s departure and its impact on Basalt’s finances.
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Information from: The Aspen Times,
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
