CGJA's Mission & Purpose Statements

MISSION STATEMENT

To promote government accountability by improving the training and resources available to California's 58 regular grand juries and educating the public about the substantial local government oversight and reporting powers these grand juries have.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

1. To provide the general public with informational and educational materials and activities on the California Grand Jury system that will help increase public awareness of the valuable role the grand jury plays in our democratic system of government, and

2. To promote comprehensive training and orientation of all new grand jurors throughout the state, and

3. To promote adequate funding, office and meeting facilities, and other support as typically required by grand juries be provided to them in all counties throughout the state pursuant to fulfilling their lawful duties, and

4. To promote the preservation of all grand jury reports issued throughout the state during its history both in counties of origin and in a centralized state archival repository accessible to the public, historians, scholars, students and other researchers, and

5. To advocate publication of all grand jury reports and official responses to those reports in a public newspaper or other medium for community wide distribution to educate the public regarding the final grand jury investigative findings and recommendations and the official reactions to them, and

6. To advocate that social studies and history classes and texts in California secondary schools contain comprehensive information regarding the role of the grand jury in California, and

7. To publish a statewide informational newsletter to provide current information concerning issues, events and activities regarding the grand jury, and

8. To sponsor an annual statewide conference of grand jurors and others interested in matters pertaining to the preservation and enhancement of the California Grand Jury institution, and

9. To work toward the preservation and enhancement of the grand jury system by studying issues or legislation that specifically pertains to the grand jury and to make recommendations based on non-partisan analysis to the appropriate body or legislature, and

10. To undertake any other efforts consistent with the foregoing that will increase the public knowledge of the grand jury system and the contributions it has made, and continues to make, to California's citizenry and toward good government.