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Sample Documents

Posted here are resource materials for regular (civil) grand juries from various sources. Some have been provided to us by grand juries from throughout California and the others were written by CGJA’s Training Committee. These documents can be used by grand juries when updating their local procedures manual (also known as their “rules of procedure”), or when devising forms, templates, checklists, and other tools that can make the jury’s workload more manageable. None of these documents should be construed as legal advice. We urge you to consult with the grand jury's legal advisor before adopting or using any of them. The grand jury should keep in mind that any changes to its rules of procedure require a supermajority vote. We thank the contributing grand juries for sharing these materials with their counterparts in other counties.

Please note that CGJA does not vouch for the accuracy or completeness of the documents provided to us by grand juries.

Most of the following templates or form letters are in Microsoft Word and can be downloaded or modified to suit each jury’s needs. We hope and trust they will prove useful.

 

Table of Contents
Grand Jury Procedures Manuals and Other Rules and Guidelines

Fresno County Procedures Manual
Mendocino County Procedures Manual
San Francisco Civil Grand Jury Handbook
Shasta County Procedures Manual
Shasta County Procedures Manual Appendix
Sonoma County Procedures Manual
Yuba County Procedures Manual

Collegiality Code
Team Building & Collaboration  (Contra Costa County)
Code of Ethical Conduct
Examples of Ground Rules
Foreperson's Administrative Checklist
Rules of Order Adapted for Grand Juries  (adapted from Robert's Rules Simplified)
Sample Meeting Rules
Social Media Strategy - San Luis Obispo County

 

Internal Documents: Forms, Contracts, etc.

Acknowledgment of Grand Juror Resignation
Agenda - Full Panel Meeting
Agenda for Committee Meeting
Choosing Effective Committee Chairs
Committee and Officer Assignments - Skills and Interests
Committee Assignment Preference Form1
Committee Assignment Preference Form2
Committee Assignments
Confidentiality Agreement, IT Services
Confidentiality Agreement, Printer
Foreperson's Administrative Checklist
Grand Juror Employment Recusal Report
Juror Exit Form
Juror Resignation Form
Timeline of Grand Jury Activities

 
Letters to Respondents about Non-Compliant Responses

Sample Letter about Past Due Response
Sample Letter about Response Lacking Implementation Summary
Sample Letter about Response Lacking Timeframe for Entity Analysis
Sample Letter about Response Lacking Timeframe for Future Implementation
Sample Letter about Unclear Response

 
Documents Related to Complaints

Choosing Which Complaints to Investigate
Complaint Acknowledgement Letter 1 - general
Complaint Acknowledgement Letter 2 - lack of jurisdiction or information
Complaint Acknowledgement Letter 3 - carryover to next term
Complaint Form (English)
Complaint Form (Spanish)
Complaint Status Log 1
Complaint Status Log 2

 
Documents Related to Jails and Prisons

Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Jails Inspection Handbook
Detention Facility Inspection Form
Inmate Authorization for Release of Information
Investigating and Reporting on Jails and Prisons
 

See our Local Government Information page for the website for the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), links to Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, and a link to CGJA's Detention Facilities Inspection video.

 
Documents Related to Investigations

Acknowledge Receipt of Correspondence
Admonition Form
Admonition Humboldt County 
Advantages and Disadvantages of Recording Device Use for Grand Jury Interviews
Committee Proposal for Investigation
Confidentiality Statement for Interviews
Email Confidentiality Notice
Interview Confirmation
Interview Script
Interview Thank You
Investigation Checklist
Investigation Timeline
Phone Script for Scheduling Interviews
Prioritizing Investigation Topics
Request for Records
Subpoena Duces Tecum
Subpoena Request Form
Subpoena for Witness and Records (developed by CGJA)emtes

 
Report Templates, Checklists, and Forms

Report Writing Template – an interactive tool useful to prepare reports in a consistent fashion. For juries that use Google Docs, contact cgjatraining@cgja.org to obtain a Google Docs version.
Sample Style Guide (San Francisco Grand Jury)
Report Logic Matrix
Helpful Hints for Writing Reports
Checklist for Review of Grand Jury Reports
Report Content Checklist
Example of Editing Procedure
Report Critique Form
Exit Interview Template
Sample Report - Garfield Roads Report
Sample Report - Cleveland Community Services District Report

 
Processing and Releasing Reports

Checklist: Required Approvals for Reports
Press Release
Report Status Log
Request for Legal Advisor Review
Sample Form to Transmit a Report to Legal Advisor or Judge
Sample Supermajority Approval and Submission to Judge
Sample Report Transmittal Cover Letter to Respondent #1
Sample Report Transmittal Cover Letter to Respondent #2