What to make Fresno better? Serve on the county civil grand jury and seek the truth

California has a grand jury system unlike those in the other 49 states, and offers every adult resident of every county unequalled opportunity to learn about and then do something about local government.

We’re familiar with criminal grand juries, but in California, they’re rare.

Instead, each county impanels a civil grand jury that responds to citizen concerns by reviewing processes, policies and procedures to improve local government.

I’m proud to be in my fourth term on Fresno County’s civil grand jury, two as foreperson, and grateful for the experience of helping spotlight governance of our county, its cities, schools and special districts.

The 2019-20 Fresno County civil grand jury reported on questions about Parlier’s city government; special-district private audit funding; and efforts to find sustainable solutions to chronic homelessness. There’s also a continuity report about which agencies responded as required by the California Penal Code to previous grand juries’ recommendations.

You can read grand jury reports and responses for the past many years at https://www.fresno.courts.ca.gov/divisions/jury-service/report-response.

Investigations are conducted by committees of jurors taking great care to be impartial, thorough and thoughtful. Each investigation may take many months, involve site visits, multiple interviews, document review, report writing and legal review.

Grand jurors take an oath not to disclose anything discussed by the grand jury forever, which helps it get essential information to inform fair findings and efficient, effective recommendations. Grand juries can compel agencies to produce documents and interviewees to be questioned.

Each investigative committee report must be approved by the full grand jury and reviewed by the court before it’s posted publicly. Agencies or officials required to respond then have 60 or 90 days to do so.

Publication of reports typically draws news media attention, although some reports get more coverage than others. Each report is important to the citizens served by an agency in the grand jury spotlight, but if I’m an editor in Fresno, a grand jury report on another community might not be newsworthy to my audience.

To me, the civil grand jury serves an even more-important role now as a government watchdog and I invite you to consider becoming a grand juror.

The Fresno County Superior Court is seeking applicants for the 2022-23 civil grand jury now, hoping to attract more folks from outside Fresno-Clovis and to improve diversity in age, gender, ethnicity and race.

You must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, a county resident for a year by July 1 and be proficient in English. Computer literacy helps.

Judges review applications; conduct interviews, whittle the pool to about 30; and swear in the next grand jury in late June to begin service July 1.

There aren’t 19 openings each time, because some grand jurors may be appointed to a second term. After holdovers are seated, the court chooses applicants’ names randomly to reach 19. Those not chosen become alternates, who step in if needed.

Grand jurors meet weekly in downtown Fresno and also for investigative work, interviews, tours and report-writing. It adds up to 40 to 80 hours a month, but the court emphasizes that grand jurors aren’t expected to put their entire life on hold for a year.

Like trial jurors, grand jurors receive $15 per day and mileage. Unlike trial jurors, grand jurors must publicly disclose personal financial information.

Grand jurors invite government and community leaders for presentations and tour local government facilities, including Pleasant Valley State Prison.

Our grand jury has a wealth of diverse experience in media, law, education, court administration, law enforcement, health care, government, fundraising, human resources, insurance,ministry, psychology and more. Those varied backgrounds are handy in investigations.

I encourage you to apply, confident that your investment of time and effort will yield significant learning and satisfying community service while helping local government make good use of our hard-earned tax dollars.

Details and an application form are at https://www.fresno.courts.ca.gov/divisions/jury-service/grand-jury.