CFOIC Executive Director
In a letter to a lawyer for 9NEWS and Colorado Public Radio, Weld County defended a sheriff’s office requirement that records request forms be notarized.
“The unfortunate reality, as we have explained to your clients before, is that the WCSO needs to make policy that prevents bad actors from misusing our criminal justice records,” wrote Matthew Conroy, assistant Weld County attorney. “This will inevitably cause some inconvenience to good actors, but the law requires no less from us.”
He added that the notarization policy was instituted in 2023 to “lessen the burden” on requesters, whom the agency previously required to appear in person with identification to submit requests under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA). Now, the sheriff’s office allows online requests so long as requesters provide a notarized affirmation that they will not use the information for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain…