Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California: New Name and Logo for Clarification
Press release from the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California:
The California Grand Jurors’ Association has changed its name to the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California (CGJA) and unveiled a redesigned logo. The move is intended to boost public understanding of civil grand juries and the work they do to improve local governments within California’s 58 counties.
California’s constitution requires the superior court in every county to empanel a civil grand jury made up of county citizens who serve a one-year term. Each civil grand jury is required to investigate and report on some aspect of county government. They also can investigate selected local governments including cities and towns, special districts, schools, and other public entities supported by local taxpayers.
Civil grand juries operate as independent watchdogs that conduct confidential investigations which normally result in reports with findings and recommendations for solving problems they have identified in government operations.
“People commonly mistake civil grand juries for criminal grand juries,” said CGJA President Gary Cooper. “They are very different, and both serve important roles.
Criminal grand juries are usually assembled by county district attorneys to consider criminal matters. On the other hand, civil grand juries are empaneled by the superior court to focus on improving the operations of local governments. Our new name and logo puts greater emphasis on the word, ‘civil’.”
The new logo features “CGJA” together with the shape of the state and a silhouette representative of California’s bear. It is encircled by the words, “Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California.”
The Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California is a non-profit organization comprised of former civil grand jurors. CGJA and its county chapters are committed to promoting, preserving and supporting the civil grand jury system through training, education and outreach. CGJA trains more than 1,000 civil grand jurors per year. Since 1850, an estimated 100,000 Californians have served as civil grand jurors. California’s civil grand juries annually release about 300 reports on local governments every year. For more information about what Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California does, visit CGJA.org
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New logo!? How do I get that graphic artist job and how much more does it pay than the finely detailed art I do for chicken scratch.
12/29/25
I have a question regarding the integrity of a civil grand jury when a jury foreman violates the protocol of recusal due to conflict of interests involved with the subject of interest in a public complaint filing? Additionally, the jury foreman took a personal interest in this complaint until I located a social media post disclosing her connection to the responsible party after four months of communication attempting to delay & exhaust my efforts to pursue an investigation. A complaint filed involving a local non profit organization was entrusted with a Special Purpose donation of $83,623.00, intended to benefit a low income community for free services for their pets. A major issue in a poor community with no resources & a rampant stray/feral animal population. The non profit, claiming to represent the community, took the donation, no public announcement to inform even the intended beneficiary community & never heard about the donation again-it’s been three (3) years & the identified subject of interest as the principle officer of the non profit has refused to disclose the records/receipts of the allocation of the funds, formally requested via written requests certified mail. This issue has since been run through two additional panels of jurors however, the same jury foreman repeats her two year runs with an alternate serving for one year, then she returns to serve as the civil grand jury foreman again.
It seems these panels of civil grand jurors are protected by a system of total secrecy & complete impunity without oversight, above reproach.
I was then requested to meet with the current panel of jurors, (a new year) in their local office. This resulted in people who were not the actual foreman as I had confirmed with the Superior Court Clerk’s office that the current jury foreman was the same jury foreman as the one who was inappropriate the year prior, nor was the person present who originally contacted me by phone. I have no idea who was interrogating me, questions never were relaed to the complaint, the responsible party nor the circumstances which had been detailed in volumes of documents provided to their office in numerous certified mailings. This “panel” seemed not to know much about the complaint & more about my personal opinions asking if I had additional information. They were given everything they needed to investigate/interview the identified subject of interest & to compel the non profit records, they did nothing.
What protects the public from inappropriate, malfeasance & a rogue civil grand jury allowed to function & operate under the protections of a system that ultimately interferes in any progress of justice? This was not how I perceived the operations of a civil grand jury after I thoroughly researched the workings & protocols of this operation prior filing the original complaint. The same non profit currently fund raises, solicits donations & grant funding including continued deceit of the community. Is there no recourse & how does the public have confidence in a system that has no boundaries or accountability?