Killing a measure that would have made the subject to open records laws was a short-sighted move by state lawmakers.
It makes no sense that prosecutors must abide by the Colorado Open Records Act, but public defenders do not. Both are supported by government money.
The rationale cited by several Democratic lawmakers in voting against was that it unfairly targeted the public defender and the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel.
Some used the excuse that the Colorado Judicial Branch is writing its own rules for releasing administrative records for itself and other agencies it controls.
The issue has come to the fore recently as news outlets have attempted to get records detailing how much the public defender has spent on the defense of accused mass shooter James Holmes.
And that’s information the public deserves to know. But the issue goes beyond one case and one large defense tab. It’s really about having the ability to determine whether public funds are being spent wisely.
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