Do you want to serve on a civil grand jury?
Hear ye! Hear ye! All good citizens of Humboldt County! Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Madrone read into the record at their Feb.. 7 meeting a proclamation duly passed by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Humboldt proclaiming the month of February,2023 as Civil Grand Jury Awareness Month. In attendance to accept the proclamation were the Superior Court Acting CEO, Meara Hattan, current Civil Grand Jury ProTem, Vicky Joyce, Humboldt County Grand Jury Association President, Wayne Ventuleth, and two members of the current Civil Grand Jury.
This proclamation recognizes the existence of grand juries since the adoption of the original California Constitution in 1849-1850. It references that grand juries conduct their investigations under the auspices of the Superior Court of California. It identifies that grand juries are charged with investigating and reporting on local governmental operations to assure that their responsibilities are being fulfilled legally, efficiently, honestly, and in the best interest of the public. It reconfirms the authority of grand juries and identifies the operational separation from the entities and officials they investigate.
Humboldt County is fortunate to have had over 100 citizens volunteer their time, over the last 6 years, by serving on a Civil Grand Jury for at least one year. Being a Civil Grand Juror requires hard work, dedication, investigative skills, and the willingness to work with other community members. Satisfaction is received from working with other community members to improve our local government for all citizens.
February then is a time to reflect on our grand jury system, to recognize the sacrifice former and current jurors have made to serve you, and to consider submitting an application now to serve as a Civil Grand Juror, before the next term begins on July 1.
Civil Grand Jury service is open to all county residents, 18 and older, who are U.S. citizens and have not been convicted of a felony. Each February-March, active recruitment begins requesting applications from the public to serve on the Civil Grand Jury for a fiscal term, July 1 — June 30. The Humboldt Superior Court reviews the applications, interviews are conducted and acceptable candidates’ names are then placed in a “hat” and 19 names are drawn at random; these candidates will comprise the incoming Civil Grand Jury members. The remaining names will be designated as “alternates,” who might be called upon to serve if a Civil Grand Jury member is unable to complete their full term.
Civil Grand Jurors are reimbursed for their services. A stipend of $20 is paid for each 7 hours of participation during the weekly meetings. Mileage is reimbursed at the rate the IRS determines each year (the standard mileage rate for 2023 is 65.5 cents per mile). Jurors are expected to commit a minimum of 20 hours a week, however when the investigative and report-writing process begins, the time commitment may increase significantly.
A two-day training class is provided to newly seated members, which introduces Grand Jury Law, local governments, the investigation process, interviewing techniques, and report writing. This training is given by the California Grand Jurors’ Association.
Does this sound like something you may be interested in pursuing? The Civil Grand Jury questionnaire/application is available on the County of Humboldt’s website at: https://humboldtgov.org/518/Civil-GrandJury-Forms, in person at the Court’s Jury Services Office (located at 825 5th St., Room G03 — ground floor), the Civil Grand Jury Office (located at 825 5th St., Room 103 — first floor), or via email at: GrandJuryApps@ humboldt.ca.gov to request an application be emailed to you. Civil Grand Juror applications are both accepted and encouraged all year.