[Tehama County] 90 years ago...Grand jury committees file reports

December 9, 2014

Red Bluff Daily News

Note: A bit of history

The county hospital committee of Tehama county grand jury, consisting of Mary E. Campbell, Alice L. Bransford, Henry Kuse, Charles Dicus and F. T. Robson, Monday filed a report with the board of supervisors in which it was stated vast changes for betterment of the county hospital had been the past year, and “We congratulate the supervisors, as well as the county physician, Dr. Walter Gavey for the improvements.”

The improvements, it was pointed out, included a fine garden plot, plastering of the ceiling of the men’s ward, purchasing of pullets, installation of a new poultry house and the building of a brick milkhouse, now under construction.

— Dec. 9, 1914

[Kern County] What’s the role of a grand jury?

December 6, 2014

The Bakersfield Californian

Letter to the Editor

Confusion regarding the grand jury system is increasing countrywide as the result of resent events in several states. Unfortunately there is a lack of understanding by the media as well as the public at large about what a grand jury is and what the grand jury's role is during an indictment hearing.

As the president of the Kern County Grand Jury Association and past foreman of the 2012-13 Kern County Grand Jury, I wish to reiterate that during a grand jury indictment hearing the grand jury can only look for probable cause when hearing the case presented by the district attorney. The grand jury does not determine guilt or innocence in the matter.

After hearing all evidence presented by the DA, including witness testimony under oath, and after deliberation, the grand jury will present to the presiding judge of the superior court one of two findings: a true bill (probable cause has been determined) or not a true bill (probable cause not determined). Thus ends the involvement of the grand jury in the matter.

Of the 58 counties in California, the Kern County Grand Jury is one of few which does hear indictments. Applications for the 2015-16 KCGJ will be available in January 2015: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury.

Lynn Runyan, President

Kern County Grand Jury Association

[Ventura County] Grand Jury Seeks Requests for Speakers

From:  The Acorn

The Ventura County civil grand jury’s speakers’ bureau and outreach program welcomes speaker requests from service organizations, teachers, librarians and community groups.

The all-volunteer, public watchdog group investigates complaints from the public, writes reports and makes recommendations about all agencies of local government, such as city councils, school districts, libraries, jails, hospitals, harbors and water districts.

The civil grand jury does not pursue criminal cases or give evidence in courtrooms; however, if it identifies apparently intentional criminal actions, it refers the matter to the county’s district attorney.

The grand jury investigates issues such as alleged violations of city and county codes, and disaster preparedness in schools and contracting procedures of ports. It takes an in-depth, unbiased look at the policies, processes and practices of the department or agency in question.

To view its reports and responses going back to 1995, as well as a simple one-page complaint form, visit www.ventura.org/grand-jury.

For more information or to schedule a speaker, call (805) 477-1600.

[San Joaquin County] Grand jury: City in line with disposal of ‘surplus’

November 30, 2014

Manteca Bulletin

By Jason Campbell

LATHROP – If you’re a government agency, getting rid of stuff isn’t as easy as just taking it to the dump.

And for the better part of two years the City of Lathrop has been going back and forth with the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury on whether its policies governing the disposal of surplus and unused real property fall within the existing legal boundaries as defined by the State of California.

Bottom line – Lathrop says yes and the county tentatively agrees.

According to a report that was included in a grand jury compilation, during a five-year stretch from 2007 through 2012, Lathrop disposed of only one thing deemed “surplus” – a vehicle that was no longer needed.

An entire structure had already been set in place to govern and oversee the entire process and make it both transparent and legal in the eyes of the state. The grand jury also found, during that investigation (all municipalities in San Joaquin County were looked into during that period), that Lathrop had an existing paper trail for any of the transactions that were made or in the process of being made.

The last back-and-forth communication between the city and the grand jury came in February when City Attorney Sal Navarrete sent back a response stating that the county’s requirements clearly outline that cities must have policy language in place that lines up with existing state law and that Lathrop’s does just that – requiring no additional changes to the municipal code or action on behalf of the council.

Why must the grand jury get involved in whether something qualifies as surplus?

According to online documents, cities in the past have been found to be guilty of determining things to be surplus when they really weren’t in order to make them available for vendors that wanted to get them at a massively discounted rate or other agencies as a de facto form of payment.

No San Joaquin County government agency has ever been accused of such, and the move by the grand jury is strictly to get in front of any issues that may arise in the future.