Grand Jury

MARINCOUNTYCIVILGRANDJURY 2016-2017 • OCTOBER2017 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES 12 backgroundinformationand allow pointed questions to be asked in a private setting. e Grand Jury is sworn to protect the anonymity of our sources, not just for our term, but for the rest of our lives. Continuity In addition to ongoing investi- gations, the Grand Jury also has administrative responsibilities. Perhaps the most important of these is reviewing public agencies' responses to previously published Grand Jury reports for adequacy, completeness, and timeliness. For example, if an agency promised to make a change by a certain date, the Grand Jury seeks confirma- tion. Such monitoring ensures that promised changes happen. e RFI Eventually a committee will have enough information and direction to warrant writing an RFI (Request for Investigation). An RFI is an overview of what the committee plans to further re- search and is presented to the en- tire 19-member body of the jury (the "Plenary"). If the research pans out, a report is then written that the Plenary later reviews and votes on. Sometimes a committee discov- ers that their "hot topic" is no longer appropriate (assumptions prove to be incorrect or other agencies are already investigating) and has to abandon the topic and start anew. Excitement builds as expertise is developed: learning the lingo, meeting leaders, under- standing motivations, deciphering the law, and finding best practices. Jurors start thinking about solu- tions to issues, validating these solutions through additional re- search, conversation, and surveys. One key investigative principle is triangulation: To prove anything, three independent sources are required. Triangulation takes time but is key to a report's effective- ness. Reports don't simply contain our thoughts or our observations, they contain concepts and solu- tions that we prove as best we can. Field trips e grand jury is not all work and no play. ere are opportuni- ties to take social "field trips" to learn as much as we can about our County. ese optional trips may include: public utilities, safety and public transportation facilities. We visit a wide variety of agen- cies up-close and ask questions on matters we've always been curi- ous about. In addition, leaders throughout the County are invited to our year-long speaker series, sharing details of their organiza- tions and responsibilities. Writing the report While some topics feel like they would take years to examine and report on, the Grand Jury must complete its work within its one-year term. At some point it becomes clear that investigations must wrap up to begin writing the report described in the RFI presentation. Before dra ing their report, jurors can attend a "Report Writing 101" class. e writing process can be the most emotion- ally-charged phase of the term. During meetings, people agree on high-level concepts but when articulated in detail, committee members may disagree on lan- guage, 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 the committee is ready, they pass their report dra to an editorial committee. is is the first chance for "fresh eyes" to read the report and offer sugges- tions. e investigative committee then makes any necessary edits, eventually sharing their report with the Plenary. Report approval Members of the Plenary read the committee's report, share sug- gestions and ask additional ques- tions before discussing and voting on the report. As in other Plenary actions, a supermajority (at least 12 of the 19 jurors) must vote to approve. A er Plenary approval, both County Counsel and the presid- ing judge must sign off on the report. eir role is not to censor our work, but to ensure that the specific language is legally appro- priate. (For example, the report is not libelous.) If they reject the report, the committee may wish to make necessary changes and seek re-approval. As required by the California Penal Code, the re- port is then sent confidentially to agencies named in the report. is ensures that these agencies have an opportunity to request any factual mistakes in the report be corrected before publication. Finally, the report is published: It is placed onto the Grand Jury's website and copies are sent to the media (for possible coverage) and named agencies. THE RESULTS e most tangible result of our work is a published Grand Jury report expressing concerns and containing recommendations that specific agencies publicly respond to. e goal of each independently researched report is to stimulate community awareness and con- versation – in the media, at board meetings, and within neighbor- hood groups. Over the years, grand jury reports have addressed a wide variety of topics and have encouraged many measurable changes including: improved web- site transparency, reduced school bullying, increased police body cameras, increased recycling, a plastic bag ban, and increased senior care funding. INTERESTED? If you have some free time and a passion to make a difference, apply to the next 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 appli- cations throughout the year. e deadline for submitting an appli- cation for next year's Civil Grand Jury is April 22, 2018. Civil Grand Jury Experience continuedfrompage11 To APPLY for GRAND JURY SERVICE visit the Grand Jury website: http://MarinCounty.org/GrandJury Click on"Marin Grand Jury Application" To request an investigation by the Marin County Civil Grand Jury visit our website: http://MarinCounty.org/GrandJury Click on"Form to Request an Investigation"

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