The California Grand
Jurors’ Association is excited to announce the publication of an informative
new 50-page eBook. The public is urged to download and read this comprehensive
new book, California Civil Grand Juries: History, Law and How They Operate in
order to better understand the California Civil Grand Jury’s activities and
their very important “watchdog role” of local government in all 58 counties in
California. The system is unique in being an ongoing program enshrined in our
state constitution to give every county citizen oversight of county and
government, schools and special districts.
The book can be downloaded
at https://www.cgja.org/sites/default/files/californias_civil_grand_juries_edition4.pdf.
Louis Panetta, President
of the California Grand Jurors’ Association, said, “We are so pleased to update
this “go to” resource for explaining what the California Civil Grand Juries do
and the impact they make on good governance.”
There are many issues that
arise about the activities of local government and special districts. Just read
some letters to the editor or attend a public meeting and you’ll hear many
varied opinions. Many issues become the subject of investigations by the Civil
Grand Jury members within a county.
Each year, there are
excellent investigations and reports available for viewing on the CGJA website
at https://cgja.org/search-grand-jury-report-topics. “Now more than ever, I urge
the public to take the time to read our new book, learn more and apply to serve
on the Civil Grand Jury for your county.”
The carefully selected
jurors serving on a Civil Grand Jury in California are dedicated to ensuring
that local government is effective, efficient, accountable and transparent.
Panetta adds, “Not only
are they using their critical thinking and writing skills to better understand
a specific local government activity, but they often create friendships among
their fellow jurors that last a lifetime!”
“Throughout California,”
Panetta points out, “Why not search reports to read about wild fires,
homelessness, or the environment, a few of the many fascinating investigations
which effected important changes within local government.”
According to James Perry,
a past California Civil Grand Juror in Monterey County, “Serving as a Civil
Grand Juror allows people the opportunity to do great things and become
instruments of justice! It’s like having a backstage pass.”
Investigations and reports
In the forward to the
book, Judge Quentin L. Kopp (retired) states, “Established in the state
constitution in 1850 and codified by the California legislature in 1872, grand
juries devote hours of time and attention to city, county, school district and
special district administration and governance in an effort to secure
effectiveness, governmental efficiency, and understanding of taxpayer
expenditures and public office holder and entity integrity.”
As a truly independent
body, each grand jury is free to choose which local governmental entities or
public officials to investigate. With very limited exceptions, no one outside
the grand jury can direct it to conduct an investigation.
Ideas for investigations
generally come by way of three avenues: citizen complaints, matters raised by
the members of the grand jury, and referrals from the preceding grand jury.
During its investigations,
the grand jury acts as a finder of fact. In addition to determining if the
official or entity under investigation is adhering to the laws that govern the
operations of that entity, the jury analyzes whether the entity is operating in
a businesslike manner and providing public services effectively and
economically.
While it has no authority
to order or otherwise compel compliance with its recommendations, it is through
its reports that the grand jury wields its power. Those reports are influential
because they attract the attention of the media, and subsequently, the voting
constituencies of the investigated officials. The resulting public pressure
often prompts the implementation of the recommended changes.
Typically, over 500
reports are issued each year by California’s 58 county grand juries.
About the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association
The California Grand
Jurors’ Association is an all-volunteer, membership nonprofit organization
(501c3) dedicated to promoting, preserving and supporting the civil watchdog
function of California grand juries. Each year, CGJA provides training to grand
juries to help them more effectively fulfill their state constitutional
authority to, among other things, investigate and report on the conduct of
local government as an arm of the Superior Court.
For more information, go
to www.cgja.org. To apply to serve as a juror, check out the website of the
Superior Court in Lassen County.
Lassen County Times
swilliams
March 2, 2022
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