The Sentinel Colorado v. Rodriguez.

2025 CO 58. No. 24SC51. Municipal, County, and Local Government—Attorney Fees—Attorney-Client Privilege.

October 7, 2025

The supreme court determined that The Sentinel Colorado newspaper, as a corporation, is a “citizen” under the Colorado Open Meetings Law (COML) and therefore may recover attorney fees from the Aurora City Council for the council’s violation of the COML if it is ultimately the prevailing party in this case. Further, the court determined that a public letter disclosing the fact that a stipulated agreement was discussed during an Aurora City Council executive session did not waive the attorney-client privilege because it did not detail the communications between the Council and its attorney. The court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals as to both issues and remanded the case for further proceedings.