Commentary
When I received my civil grand jury summons last year, I almost dismissed it out of hand. I didn’t think I would be able to devote the necessary time, being a father of five children and a full-time nonprofit executive.
However, after accepting the voluntary assignment as one of the 19 members for Yuba County, I discovered that it was time well spent. California’s civil grand juries are among the most powerful tools citizens have to hold local government accountable, and they’re nothing like what you see on television.
Most people think of juries as 12 people deciding guilt or innocence in a trial. Civil grand juries are different. They exist in all 58 counties as watchdog panels….