Grand Jury

MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY 2018-2019 • OCTOBER 2019 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY EXPERIENCE 12 with the Civil Grand Jury or the content of conversation. Interviews provide background information and allow pointed questions to be asked in a confidential setting. e Civil Grand Jury is sworn to protect the anonymity of sources, not just for the current term, but forever. Continuity In addition to ongoing investi- gations, the Civil Grand Jury has administrative responsibilities. Per- haps the most important of these is reviewing public agencies' respons- es to previously published Civil Grand Jury reports for adequacy, completeness, and timeliness. For example, if an agency promised to make a change by a certain date, the Civil Grand Jury seeks confirma- tion. Such monitoring ensures that promised changes happen. e RFI When a committee has sufficient information and direction, they write an RFI (Request for Inves- tigation). An RFI is an overview of what the committee plans to research and is presented to the entire 19-member body of the Civil Grand Jury (the "Plenary"). If the research proves fruitful, a report is written. e Plenary later reviews and votes on each report. Sometimes a committee discovers that their "hot topic" is not viable (assumptions prove to be incorrect or changes are already underway) and has to abandon the topic and start anew. Excitement builds as expertise and experience develops. Jurors days are filled with meeting leaders, learning the lingo, under- standing motivations, deciphering the law, and finding best practices. Jurors start thinking about solutions to problems, validating these solu- tions through additional research, conversation, and surveys. One key investigative principle is triangula- tion: to prove anything, three inde- pendent sources are required. Tri- angulation takes time but is key to a report's effectiveness. Reports don't simply contain jurors' thoughts or observations; they contain concepts and solutions based on facts. Field trips and plenary presenta- tions: e Civil Grand Jury is not all work and no play. ere are op- portunities to take "field trips" to learn as much as possible about the county. Jurors visit a wide variety of agencies and locales and ask questions of experts. In addition, leaders from throughout the county are invited to present at the weekly plenary sessions, sharing details of their organizations and responsi- bilities. ese presentations give a comprehensive overview local government and the dedicated and talented individuals who serve county residents. Writing the report While some investigations con- tinually uncover new information and could go on indefinitely, the Civil Grand Jury must complete its work within its one-year term. At some point investigations must wind down and writing the report described in the RFI must begin. Before draing the report, jurors can attend a "Report Writing 101" class. e writing process can be the most emotionally-charged phase of the term. During meetings, people agree on high-level concepts but when articulated in detail, com- mittee members may disagree on language, intent, specifics, or logical flow. Members review each other's contributions, negotiate phrasing, and merge separate ideas into a cohesive, rigorous report dra. e editing process Once a committee agrees the report is ready, a dra is passed to the editorial committee. is is the first chance for "fresh eyes" to read the report and offer sugges- tions. e investigative committee can then make any necessary edits, eventually sharing the report with the Plenary. Report approval Members of the Plenary read the committee's report, share sugges- tions and ask additional questions before discussing and voting to approve release. As in other Plenary actions, a supermajority (at least 12 of the 19 jurors) must vote to approve. Aer Plenary approval, both County Counsel and the presiding judge must sign off on the report. eir role is not to censor the work, but to ensure that the specific lan- guage is legally appropriate (i.e., the report is not libelous) and within the jury's scope of responsibility. If they reject the report, the com- mittee may opt to make necessary changes and seek re-approval. As required by the California Penal Code, a confidential copy is sent to agencies named in the report. is ensures that these agencies have an opportunity to request any factual mistakes be corrected before publication. Finally, the report is published: It is placed onto the Civil Grand Jury's website and copies are sent to the media for possible coverage. THE RESULTS e most tangible result of the jury's work are the published Civil Grand Jury reports expressing con- cerns and containing recommen- dations to which specific agencies publicly respond. By law elected individuals have 60 days to respond while boards and councils have 90 days. Responses may indicate the intention to implement the recommendations, further study the concepts, or reject the recom- mendations as too costly or infea- sible. Reponses are posted with the reports on the Grand Jury's section of the county website. One goal of each independently researched report is to stimulate community awareness and con- versation — in the media, at board meetings, and within neighborhood groups. Over the years, Civil Grand Jury reports have addressed a wide variety of topics and have encour- aged many measurable changes including: improved website trans- parency, reduced school bullying, increased police use of body cam- eras with well-developed policies, increased recycling, a plastic bag ban, increased senior care funding, and improved mental healthcare in our jail. INTERESTED? If you have some free time and a passion to make a difference, apply to the next Civil Grand Jury. You'll learn, share, and connect with other Marinites. Join us. e Civil Grand Jury works on a fiscal year basis and accepts ap- plications throughout the year. e deadline for submitting an applica- tion for next year's Civil Grand Jury is April 22, 2020. Civil Grand Jury Experience continued from page 11 To APPLY for CIVIL GRAND JURY SERVICE visit: MarinCounty.org/GrandJury Click on "Marin Grand Jury Application" To request a CIVIL GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION visit: MarinCounty.org/GrandJury Click on "Form to Request an Investigation"

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