What We Do
We provide the general public with information and educational materials and activities on the California Civil Grand Jury system that will help increase public awareness of the valuable role the civil grand jury plays in our democratic system of government.
We provide comprehensive training on all subjects relative to empaneled civil grand juries available to all 58 counties within California including civil grand jury training as well as specific workshops on key topics relevant to civil grand jury service.
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Civil Grand Jury Resources
Here you can find sample documents, templates, examples of well-written reports, links to local government resources,
and FAQs.
Our Annual Conference
Every year in the fall, CGJA holds an Annual Conference and Membership Meeting to provide an opportunity for members and civil grand jurors to meet and discuss experiences and hear from speakers and panels on relevant topics of interest.
Chapter Resources
Includes chapter resource documents, suggested activities for chapters, guidance for forming a chapter along with templates.
Get Involved
Join CGJA as an active member, volunteer for CGJA, become a civil grand juror, join a chapter, or support us through a tax deductible donation.
Grand Jurors' Journal
This bimonthly journal is a major source of information about the civil grand jury system and recent updates on CGJA activities of interest to our members.
CGJA and California's Civil Grand Jury System
Learn about CGJA and details about California’s unique system of civil grand juries.
Our Awards
Annual awards recognizing civil grand jury reporting and media coverage along with the Angelo Rolando Service Award.
We can help you become
an effective civil grand juror
CGJA conducts training seminars for civil grand jurors and alternates on their various civil functions. These seminars include twelve full hours of presentations and over 300 pages of training materials. Experienced and highly qualified trainers who have served as civil grand jurors or grand jury legal advisors present these programs locally, throughout the state as “onsite” seminars or via Zoom if Covid-19 restrictions exist.
We also conduct Foreperson and Pro Tem Workshops, Legal Advisors’ Workshops, and Report Writing Workshops.
Stay Updated with Civil Grand Jury News
CGJA Journal
This bimonthly journal is a major source of information about the civil grand jury system and recent updates on CGJA activities of interest to our members.
The Gift of Your Time
is Priceless
CGJA is an all-volunteer membership organization. We succeed mainly because our members volunteer to serve on our committees and/or train civil grand jurors. Serving on committees almost never requires travel as we communicate via email and computer video. Our trainers do travel to venues throughout the state and we reimburse them for lodging, mileage, and a modest per diem for other expenses.
Making Local Government More Efficient and Effective
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www.davisenterprise.com/news/grand-jury-county-officials-failed-to-stop-illegal-esparto-fireworks...
Grand jury: County officials failed to stop illegal Esparto fireworks activity
Davis Enterprise
Mar 26, 2026
Lauren Keene
Nearly a dozen Yolo County officials, from code-enforcement employees to people within the Sheriff’s and County Counsel’s offices, had knowledge of prohibited fireworks operations at a rural Esparto property but took no action to shut it down, the Yolo County civil grand jury concluded in a 32-page report released Thursday.
Following an eight-month investigation into the incident dubbed the Oakdale Fire, comprising dozens of interviews and reviews of hundreds of pages of documents, the grand jury also found that “the Board of Supervisors over the years fostered a culture of tolerance of code violations that percolated through the county bureaucracy,” foreperson Richard Zeiger said in a news release.
Read the complete grand jury report here: www.yolocounty.gov/living/grand-jury/yolo-county-grand-jury-reports
The July 1, 2025, explosion and resulting 78-acre fire at County Roads 23 and 86A — property owned by several Yolo County Sheriff’s Office employees — killed seven workers who ranged in age from 18 to 45, while also damaging surrounding homes, farmland and agricultural equipment.
Zoned for agricultural use, the property instead was the site of locally unpermitted and unlicensed fireworks manufacturing/storage operations by two businesses — Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC, owned by San Francisco resident Kenneth Chee; and BlackStar Fireworks Inc., owned by former Esparto volunteer firefighter Craig Cutright, who also lived on the property.
"Public records indicate that various top Yolo County officials were aware of illegal fireworks operations at the site for at least three years prior to the incident," the grand jury report says. "Inexplicably, no code enforcement occurred, even though all dangerous fireworks had been banned by ordinance throughout rural Yolo County since 2001."
The lack of oversight and enforcement allowed the fireworks operation to expand unmitigated, leading "directly to death and destruction" from the massive explosion, grand jurors found.
A Cal Fire investigation into the explosion’s cause found “evidence of illegal activity” at the property, the state agency announced last month without citing specifics. Its full report was turned over to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, which continues its criminal investigation into the blast.
Although the report released Thursday addresses administrative government functions and does not target any individual, “if the grand jury determines that willful or corrupt misconduct has occurred, the grand jury may issue an ‘accusation’ against a public officer, initiating a criminal trial,” the report says. “The Yolo County grand jury reserves the right to launch such an investigation.
www.davisenterprise.com/news/grand-jury-county-officials-failed-to-stop-illegal-esparto-fireworks...
Grand jury: County officials failed to stop illegal Esparto fireworks activity
Davis Enterprise
Mar 26, 2026
Lauren Keene
Nearly a dozen Yolo County officials, from code-enforcement employees to people within the Sheriff’s and County Counsel’s offices, had knowledge of prohibited fireworks operations at a rural Esparto property but took no action to shut it down, the Yolo County civil grand jury concluded in a 32-page report released Thursday.
Following an eight-month investigation into the incident dubbed the Oakdale Fire, comprising dozens of interviews and reviews of hundreds of pages of documents, the grand jury also found that “the Board of Supervisors over the years fostered a culture of tolerance of code violations that percolated through the county bureaucracy,” foreperson Richard Zeiger said in a news release.
Read the complete grand jury report here: www.yolocounty.gov/living/grand-jury/yolo-county-grand-jury-reports
The July 1, 2025, explosion and resulting 78-acre fire at County Roads 23 and 86A — property owned by several Yolo County Sheriff’s Office employees — killed seven workers who ranged in age from 18 to 45, while also damaging surrounding homes, farmland and agricultural equipment.
Zoned for agricultural use, the property instead was the site of locally unpermitted and unlicensed fireworks manufacturing/storage operations by two businesses — Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC, owned by San Francisco resident Kenneth Chee; and BlackStar Fireworks Inc., owned by former Esparto volunteer firefighter Craig Cutright, who also lived on the property.
"Public records indicate that various top Yolo County officials were aware of illegal fireworks operations at the site for at least three years prior to the incident," the grand jury report says. "Inexplicably, no code enforcement occurred, even though all dangerous fireworks had been banned by ordinance throughout rural Yolo County since 2001."
The lack of oversight and enforcement allowed the fireworks operation to expand unmitigated, leading "directly to death and destruction" from the massive explosion, grand jurors found.
A Cal Fire investigation into the explosion’s cause found “evidence of illegal activity” at the property, the state agency announced last month without citing specifics. Its full report was turned over to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, which continues its criminal investigation into the blast.
Although the report released Thursday addresses administrative government functions and does not target any individual, “if the grand jury determines that willful or corrupt misconduct has occurred, the grand jury may issue an ‘accusation’ against a public officer, initiating a criminal trial,” the report says. “The Yolo County grand jury reserves the right to launch such an investigation."
Yolo County Grand Jury Reports | Yolo County
www.yolocounty.gov
2021-22 Yolo Grand Jury Final Report "Inspecting the Inspectors: Hiring Practices at City of West Sacramento, Building Division"1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Yolo County Civil Grand Jury regarding last July deadly fireworks explosion and fire.
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www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/riverside-county-s-campaign-finance-limits-are-an-illusion-report-says/...?
Press Enterprise (Note: this article lies behind a ‘pay-wall,’ and requires a subscription to the providing media service to access)
Riverside County’s campaign finance limits are an illusion, report says
A loophole allows unlimited donations to supervisors, civil grand jury concludes
By JEFF HORSEMAN | jhorseman@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
PUBLISHED: March 23, 2026 at 1:20 PM PDT | UPDATED: March 24, 2026 at 9:21 AM PDT
A loophole in Riverside County’s campaign finance rules lets wealthy donors give unlimited cash to county elected officials and candidates, according to a recently released civil grand jury report.
The report, “Untapped Influence: Campaign Contributions and Public Trust in Riverside County,” also cites what it calls an example of big campaign checks influencing public policy on the Board of Supervisors.
While names and specifics are not mentioned, the report appears to reference a July 2025 board meeting in which Supervisor Jose Medina’s proposal to study forming an oversight panel to bring more accountability to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department faltered.
The Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, a union representing deputies and other law enforcement personnel, opposed Medina’s plan and is a top donor to supervisors’ campaigns.
Released March 5, the jury’s 20-page report appears to refer to the union without naming it. Association leadership did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, Supervisor Karen Spiegel, the board’s 2026 chairperson, said in a voicemail that the county “is still reviewing” the report. The county has until June 5 to officially respond, according to the grand jury.
California’s civil grand juries are panels of citizens sworn in annually by judges and tasked with investigating the inner workings of public agencies and suggesting improvements.
The report scrutinizes campaign finance rules for those occupying or seeking elected office in county government — supervisor, sheriff/coroner, district attorney, assessor/county clerk/recorder, auditor-controller, tax collector and superintendent of schools.
A state law enacted in 2019 barred donors from giving more than $3,000 to someone running for city or county office.
The law, AB 571, let counties and cities set their own limits. In 2020, Riverside County supervisors, through Ordinance 963, capped contributions from one donor to $20,000 per candidate, with donor limits rising 3% in odd-numbered years.
The cap is lifted for all candidates in races where one candidate benefits from an “independent expenditure” of $20,000 or more. Independent expenditures are made by outside groups or committees that legally can’t be connected to a candidate.
Restrictions also go away if a candidate spends more than $20,000 on their campaign or transfers more than $20,000 between campaign accounts. This often happens when state lawmakers running for supervisor transfer money from their state accounts to their quest for county office.
These exceptions open the door for deep-pocketed donors to throw their financial weight around in county races, the report found, adding that the jury found “no discernable difference” in campaign donations before or after Ordinance 963 passed.
“This implies that the stated purpose in the ordinance has gone mostly unresolved,” the report states.
Elected leaders interviewed by the jury all reported accepting more than $20,000 from county employee unions and political action committees, the report concludes. Some elected officials told the jury it can cost more than $1 million to run a campaign, the report adds.
“With many of the elected officials receiving most of their contributions from these large donors, it becomes foreseeable that the officials may vote or propose legislation that is favorable for a PAC or union, but one that is not desired by their constituents,” the report reads.
“This can be done through an implied pressure from the money received or even direct suggestions that contributions may be pulled from their next election if the candidate doesn’t ‘play ball.’”
Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina’s proposal of an oversight committee to bring more accountability to the Sheriff’s Department failed to move forward during the Board of Supervisors’ July 29, 2026 meeting. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The report references “an agenda item of significant public interest” at the supervisors’ July 29, 2025, meeting. While the jury doesn’t mention the item, that’s when the board took up Medina’s sheriff’s oversight proposal.
Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez, who has received at least $120,000 from the sheriff’s union since 2016, left that meeting early to attend another meeting. His departure “resulted in one less possible vote to carry a motion or vote on its approval,” the report reads.
Gutierrez is reviewing the report “and it will be discussed by the board,” Derek Humphrey, a consultant to the supervisor’s campaign, said via email.
“On behalf of our campaign, I can say that running in a district with half a million residents will always be expensive,” Humphrey said.
“We are incredibly proud of the large and diverse coalition of donors and endorsers that we assembled during our first race in 2022 and again this year for the re-election. Our donors include individuals, labor unions, and businesses who care about responsive and effective leadership in Riverside County.”
The jury also criticized the board for what it said were procedural errors that delayed Medina’s item during the meeting. As a result, 22 people who signed up to speak on the item left by the time that the item was heard, the report found.
“A decision on the matter would have had a direct and measurable impact on a labor union that made large campaign contributions to several members of the Board,” the report reads. “Therefore, it appears that these large campaign contributions were, at the very least, successful in delaying a decision on this matter.”
The jury recommended removing the provision in county law that lifts contribution limits for county elected officials and outside candidates.
If they don’t, supervisors, when receiving $20,000 or more from a contributor, should publicly announce that contribution and its source when voting on an item affecting the donor, the jury recommended.
Also, the public should vote on “any campaign limit changes and campaign contribution changes for any elected county official,” the jury recommended.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct an error. The Riverside Sheriffs’ Association has contributed at least $120,000 since 2016 to the campaign of Riverside County Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez.
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Monterey County Board of Supervisors proclaimed March 2026 as Civil Grand Jury Awareness Month
Hi All,
On March 17th, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors proclaimed March 2026 as Civil Grand Jury Awareness Month. The proclamation was submitted and read by Supervisor Kate Daniels. The photo in the Supervisor's chamber is attached.
Thank you to all who have served to make our local government more efficient, effective, and accountable.
Lou Panetta
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Santa Clara has a Transparency Problem — Still - The Silicon Valley Voice
www.svvoice.com/santa-clara-has-a-transparency-problem-still/
David Alexander
POSTED: 03:00 AM, March 19, 2026
Excerpt with Grand Jury Content:
A Pattern of Denial
A 2019 California Civil Grand Jury report, titled “The City of Santa Clara: Public Records Access – The Paper Chase,” found the city’s “recordkeeping to be disorganized” and getting supposedly publicly available information to be a “time-consuming and difficult chore.”
When a civil grand jury accused several of her council colleagues of colluding with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, Gillmor was keen to put the grand jury on a pedestal. Despite her frequent defense of that grand jury, in a 176-page response to the 19-page grand jury report from 2019, Gillmor dug in her heels. She noted that the council questioned why the grand jury singled out Santa Clara and took issue with the “lack of benchmarking.”
The report called for the city to provide employees additional training, create a written policy and put in place a records management system.
In response to the recommendation that the city should “only invoke the 14-day extension where permissible,” the city claimed such a policy was already in place. It claimed a written policy was underway, that setting up a management system “required further analysis” and that it will not train other city employees on records requests because “it is not warranted or is not reasonable.”
Santa Clara has a Transparency Problem — Still
www.svvoice.com
Santa Clara continues to have an unaddressed problem with transparency and at least one council member is now speaking out.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
www.times-standard.com/2026/03/15/my-word-grand-jurors-association-follows-up-on-agency-board-com...
OPINIONCOMMENTARY
My Word | Grand Jurors Association follows up on agency, board commitments
By THE TIMES-STANDARD
PUBLISHED: March 15, 2026 at 5:31 AM PDT
By Victoria Joyce
(Note: this article lies behind a ‘pay-wall,’ and requires a subscription to the providing media service to access)
Once again, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury is hard at work on its reports. With their term coming to an end on June 30th, they are finalizing their interviews and investigations and beginning to write their reports.
When completed, the reports will be read by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court and then released to the public.
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