By Glenn Kahl
Reporter gkahl@mantecabulletin.com
POSTED October 29, 2014 12:58 a.m.
It’s been described as “one of our county’s best kept secrets.”
The duties and responsibilities of that “best kept secret” — the San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury —were outlined to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce Governmental Relations Committee members last week in a noontime session at Bethany Town Square Apartments on Main Street in Ripon.
Jurors are impaneled for the course of a year from July through June.
Grand jury secretary Kenneth Buck told the group that agreeing to membership in the 19-member panel brought with it a fulltime job, saying a few have been able to fill its requirements even when owning their own businesses or even managing a business. Due to the intensity of service, most members are retired, he said.
He added that research committees of two jurors each are allowed to interview sources and do research independently at home on their computers, later reporting back to the full panel.
The Ripon committee was told that the jury acts as a “watchdog” in responding to community concerns and issues through the panel made up of 19 citizens. A final report is handed over to a judge to guarantee efficiency in governmental responsibility throughout the county.
For full story, go to http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/116761/
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