Training Humboldt County’s civil grand jury

HCGJA | Former grand jurors advocating for our citizens

On March 8, 2021 the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury was empaneled and will serve a term ending on June 30, 2022. Typically, the empanelment would have occurred around July 1, 2020 and lasted for one fiscal year, but this has been a unique and challenging time. The Humboldt County Grand Jury Association (HCGJA) commends the county citizens who have agreed to serve, hopes they have an effective and rewarding term, and offers to them our ongoing assistance. One way in which the statewide California Grand Jury Association (CGJA) and its county chapters support local grand juries is through programs that provide in-depth training.

I served on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury from 2016-2018. Toward the end of my first year on the grand jury, members of the California Grand Jury Association (CGJA) asked if I would be interested in becoming a trainer. I applied to the CGJA Training Committee, was accepted, and began my work as a grand jury trainer in 2017. These volunteers consist of individuals with grand jury experience and some who have served as grand jury legal counsels. We provide legally required training to newly empaneled grand juries throughout the state.

When offered in person, the CGJA training takes two full days; when done via Zoom it’s done in three morning sessions. The training covers those topics needed to assist jurors in being as productive and effective as possible. Many aspects of the training also provide other benefits that can prove helpful in everyday life after the grand jury term has ended. To provide just a brief summary, the topics are as follows:

• Grand Jury Overview: Covers the mission and functions of the grand jury, a typical grand jury year, how the jury is organized and some important grand jury concepts such as confidentiality, independence and ethics.

• Grand Jury Law and Legal Topics: Includes the grand jury’s “watchdog” function and what the law says a grand jury must, may and cannot do; discusses the jury’s legal advisors and specific laws related to local governments.

• Local Governments: Lays out all the entities a grand jury can investigate such as county and city officials and departments, special districts and joint powers agencies (fire, water, lighting, waste management, etc.), and school districts, among others.

• Grand Jury Investigations: Provides information on how to be a “detective”, including selecting topics, and planning and conducting an investigation.

• Grand Jury Interviews: Focuses on an important part of the investigation process, including who to interview, and how to prepare for and conduct an effective interview.

• Grand Jury Reports: Offers an overview of producing reports, including types of reports, report content, and the writing process. Since reports are the grand jury’s only means of communicating with the public, CGJA also offers separate workshops specifically devoted to this topic.

• Grand Jury Collegiality: Explains the nature of collegiality, how it applies to grand juries in terms of being a collaborative body, and offers ground rules on how to achieve the best outcome.

In some counties, including Humboldt, members of the local chapter also offer an orientation training to the incoming jurors. Although the California Penal Code lays out certain requirements for grand juries, each county also has its own unique grand jury structure and processes. This 2-½ hour orientation training focuses specifically on the individual county including the grand jury’s relationship to the court and county, its specific rules of procedure, meetings and attendance, and an annual timeline of activities.

The training received by grand jurors, as well as the experience and knowledge gained through the term of service, lead to contributions that make important positive changes that benefit the citizens of the county. A wealth of information is available on our website at www.cgja.org in terms of who we are, what we do, and the resources we offer to grand juries and the public.

“... this has been a unique and challenging time.”