Your [Humboldt County] Civil Grand Jury in Action

 County Civil Grand Jury: When Will We Have an Empaneled Jury?

We are grateful for the opportunity to share with Humboldt County residents our insights on the important work of our Civil Grand Jury and its valuable contributions to our community and its citizens. Before we offer this month’s perspectives, we believe it would be valuable to clarify who we are and what we do in order to avoid any public confusion.

Those of us who write this monthly column, The California Grand Jurors’ Association (CGJA), are not members of the active empaneled Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury. We are the local branch of a statewide organization of former grand jury members whose goal is to support, train and encourage existing empaneled County Grand Juries, including our own Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury.

There are 29 such local association chapters throughout California. Our local chapter is one of the more active and energetic chapters in the state. We have two veteran statewide trainers, two new trainers-in-training and two statewide board members in our chapter. Our local chapter of the CGJA has no power. Our work is based on our desires to help the standing empaneled grand jury, help get the word out as to which county agency did or did not respond to a particular grand jury report, and to help in the recruitment of new grand jury members.

The California statewide CGJA provides a number of valuable services to existing grand juries. They train newly empaneled grand juries, provide report writing workshops and they provide specific training for grand jury forepersons, pro-tems and legal advisors. They maintain a website that continues to be a valuable training and research asset to grand juries. They also provide legal best-practice advice on many of the issues that arise during a grand jury’s term.

The California Grand Jurors’ Association provides the necessary state-mandated training for both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. Our local chapter often helps in providing that training. 

Now, as far as sharing information, there has been no such training this year. As of the printing of this column, there is no standing Humboldt County Grand Jury. Humboldt County is one of 14 counties throughout the state that has not been able to empanel a 2021 civil grand jury.

We understand there are many reasons that empaneling a 2021civil grand jury in Humboldt County is difficult.  Our local chapter of CGJA believes, however, that not having an empaneled civil grand jury is unacceptable. We who have served in the past want to make sure that lack of information, accessibility or lack of energy on the part of county residents is not the reason we do not have an existing empaneled civil grand jury.

If you agree with us, contact the Superior Court at 707 445-7256, and let them know you want an empaneled Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury.  Better yet, let them know that you are volunteering to serve on a new empaneled jury.

Eureka Times Herald
John Heckel authored this monthly column on behalf of the Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association.
February 13, 2021