The following is a press release issued by the Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino:
Each Spring, the Mendocino County Superior Court recruits Mendocino citizens to volunteer for a one-year appointment as civil grand jurors. The Mendocino County Civil Grand Jury, composed of 19 members plus alternates, performs important citizen oversight of local government. It investigates, monitors and issues reports and recommendations on the performance of government entities, including Mendocino County departments; city departments; water, school, and fire districts; and other special districts.
Jurors are not summoned, but instead volunteer to examine the operations of various local government entities and departments. The work is rewarding and ensures that ordinary citizens have appropriate insight into how public funds are spent and how public entities operate to make sure the mission of responsible government is met. Topics for investigation may come from the grand jurors or referrals from the previous grand jury or may arise from complaints, including anonymous complaints from citizens.
To be selected, applicants must be US citizens, at least 18 years old, reside in Mendocino County, and be fluent in English to communicate both orally and in writing. Applications and related information are available at: Grand Jury (ca.gov). The application may also be obtained in person at the Court, 100 North State Street, Room 303 in Ukiah or by calling the Grand Jury at (707) 463- 4320. The deadline this year is May 31, 2024.
Typically, civil grand jurors will spend 10-20 hours per week performing the oversight fieldwork and drafting public reports of findings and recommendations that are delivered to the target organizations. Jurors often spend the first month of their term deciding what topics will be investigated. Local agencies are required to provide relevant information to the grand jury to ensure a thorough review and must respond to findings and recommendations contained in the reports. Reports from the last two years have included reviews of County Human Resources, Family and Children’s Services, Ukiah School District’s Special Education Program, Mendocino County Jail, and many other topics.
Civil grand juries are convened in all 58 California counties. The long-cherished tradition of citizen oversight into the workings of government is widely recognized in democratic forms of government. When the California Constitution was ratified in 1849-50, the concept of a civil grand jury was included in Article 1, Section 23 and directed that a civil grand jury be impaneled “at least once a year in each county” to act as a “watchdog” on local government.
Consider joining your fellow citizens in an important and stimulating process to ensure that Mendocino County government is fulfilling its potential to serve its citizens responsibly and its mission to provide critical services to all Mendocino residents.
For more information contact:
Kim Turner
Court Executive Officer
100 N. State Street, Room 303
Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-4664
I applied last year, interviewed with the Judge who oversees the Grand Jury, was told I would be seated…but was turned down by the Judge at the last minute. Why should I apply now? Moreover, my experience with the GJ is that play politics. The head of the Grand Jury two years ago asked me in the middle of my campaign for the BOS to come before the GJ. About what, I asked. Oh, we will tell you at the time. Sheez. And another GH chief sent me a letter threatening prosecution because I said the GJ had reviewed the hospital’s finances and found no problem. This was after the GJ that did the review had adjourned and I had the right to speak. But for political reasons, I assume, the biased GJ wanted to suppress that fact. The last thing any reasonable and fair person should do is volunteer and subsequently waste their time with the GJ of Mendocino. Unless and until some brave Judge or BOS reforms it from head to toe.
It “may or may not” be your regular and consistent public proclamations of a. evident bias that you often show flagrantly, b. your lack of any personal insight to that fact, c. presumptuousness, d. spurious accusations made without any evidence, substantive follow-up, or corroboration, e. jumping to conclusions, and maybe, just maybe, f. your willful ignorance of definitive evidence and/or data that is at odds with your bias, presumptions, and self-serving opinions.
I am sorry for you, in that you appear incapable of grasping (and/or unwilling to consider) the concept of using verifiable evidence and data as a guide for developing informed opinions, conclusions, and/or solutions.
Anyone can search this site for “grand jury” and find many related articles where John’s comments about the grand jury usually include unsupported accusations and/or has whined about not being included.
Such incomplete statements and fuzzy, circular logic may be enough to get the peanut gallery and armchair quarterbacks into a tizzy but it can’t be the basis for Grand Jury reports.
If your comments on this site, John, are any indication of the character you would exhibit, like a child does their ass, then I strongly hope that you should continue to be passed over for a seat.
We need thoughtful, careful, measured, considerate people on the Grand Jury who have a real & honest capacity for logic and rigor, regardless of their personal politics.
Put on your big boy pants John.
I agree with John. I’ve heard horrible things about some of the repeat folks on the GJ. I have heard they are permanent fixtures on the GJ and they run it like it’s their personal committee and it’s their way or the highway. I’ve heard this from several people in the past several years. In fact, I’ve never heard anything but bad. That’s too bad as I’ve been interested for years but I don’t want to deal with bullies.