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.
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Includes chapter resource documents, suggested activities for chapters, guidance for forming a chapter along with templates.
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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.
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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
San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
calcoastnews.com/2026/06/san-luis-obispo-mayor-leaks-confidential-report-would-do-it-again/
By KAREN VELIE
After several community watchdogs discovered that San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart had violated the law when she shared restricted information from the Grand Jury, Stewart responded saying she would do it again.
In 2025, the San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury found that San Luis Obispo had failed to protect its residents from loud and ruckus parties hosted by Cal Poly State University students. In addition. the city also failed to enforce permit requirements for rowdy fraternities while it increased the cost of appealing those permits.
On June 13, 2025, the Grand Jury sent Stewart a copy of the report that included a lengthy list of recommendations and a warning that it was a violation of the law to share the report.
“A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after the approval of the presiding judge,” the email to Stewart quoted Penal Code 933.05(f). “No officer, agency or governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report.”
While grand juries release reports to agencies ahead of time so they can work on their responses, other witnesses and agencies are not permitted to review the reports until publicly released. The email ended with another warning not to share the report.
Even so, Stewart, a long-time Cal Poly employee, shared the report two hours and nine minutes after the grand jury sent it to her.
Stewart texted Courtney Kienow, an employee in Cal Poly’s Office of the President, asking if she knew the report was done. Stewart then shared the report with Cal Poly.
Stewart and Kienow shared 32 texts trashing the grand jury and discussing the report before it was released publicly:
Kienow texted, “Only two pages in and so frustrated.”
Stewart texted, “It is as though some of our local friends wrote it,”
Kienow texted, “I am working on a rebuttal. Problem: Cal Poly is not identified in the report as a required respondent so I don’t believe they intend to share it with us at all before it’s published. Our leadership has not received it.”
Kienow texted, “If she doesn’t send it to me, are you comfortable with me emailing them my corrections based on you sharing it? I will send you what I am proposing.”
Stewart texted, “Happy to share your responses. I have so many problems with the thing as well. Love to chat with you about it. Let me know if you have time this afternoon to chat.”
Kienow texted, “So many people have the advanced copy of the report now… they’ll never know it came from you. Still, greatly appreciate you stepping out for whats right.”
Stewart texted, “So interesting. I told Whitney that I had assumed the university was going to be asked to respond and therefore I gave it to you. So, if it comes up, I am fine with being outed if I have to.”
From June 13 through June 17, SLO City Manager Whitney McDonald and Kienow exchange multiple texts asking what was said in grand jury interviews, to make sure their stories “align.”
On June 23, 2025, the grand jury released the report – “Round & Round with Town & Gown” – 10 days after it was transmitted to the city under a statutory confidentiality order.
In a similar case, Santa Clara City Councilman Anthony Becker was sentenced to 40 days in jail for leaking a draft grand jury report to the San Francisco Forty-Niners, who helped bankroll his political career.
In December 2024, a jury convicted Becker of lying to the Civil Grand Jury when he falsely denied that he leaked its draft report that was critical of Becker, and several of his city council colleagues, for their unethical relationship with the 49ers and for putting the team’s interests above those of the city, a felony.
The jury also convicted Becker of a misdemeanor for violating his duty to not disclose the draft report.
On June 15, Stewart was questioned about releasing the report on the Dave Congalton Show on KVEC. Stewart said she did not break any laws when she shared the report with Cal Poly and that she would do it again.
A resident then called in to Congalton’s show to complain about shoddy inspections by the city. Stewart told the woman to contact city staff and described her job as “cutting ribbons” and setting policy.
San Luis Obispo mayor leaks confidential report, would do it again
calcoastnews.com
By KAREN VELIE After several community watchdogs discovered that San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart had violated the law when she shared restricted information from the Grand Jury, Stewart respond…0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Follow up to the Yolo County Grand Jury Report
County disputes alleged role in Oakdale Fire catastrophe
www.davisenterprise.com/news/county-disputes-alleged-role-in-oakdale-fire-catastrophe/article_ee5...
Davis Enterprise
Jun 23, 2026
By Lauren Keene, Enterprise staff writer
A civil grand jury jumped the gun in assigning blame to Yolo County employees and the county’s Board of Supervisors for the July 1, 2025, Esparto fireworks explosion — known as the Oakdale Fire — that killed seven employees, the county wrote in a formal response released Monday.
The reply comes three months after the scathing grand jury report, titled "Officials Knew, None Acted," which alleged that nearly a dozen Yolo County officials had knowledge of the prohibited fireworks operation at County Roads 23 and 86A for years but took no action to shut it down, leading “directly to death and destruction.”
Grand jurors also asserted that the Board of Supervisors fostered “a culture of tolerance of code violations,” along with “a laissez-faire attitude toward new construction and businesses located in unincorporated areas.”
Not so, county officials say in their 20-page response, available online at www.yolocounty.gov/grandjuryreports. Supervisors adopted the document without comment at its regular meeting Tuesday.
“The Oakdale Fire was a profound tragedy for the families and loved ones of the seven people who were killed that day, and it has forever affected the wider Esparto and Yolo County communities,” the response says. “The victims’ families, and the public, deserve a full and accurate account of how an illegal fireworks operation grew, remained concealed, and ultimately ended in catastrophe.”
County officials contend the civil grand jury issued its findings “before critical facts became available,” including a sweeping criminal grand jury indictment handed down a week later that charged eight people for their alleged roles in the blast, alleging a decade-long conspiracy to expand the illegal fireworks operation through “fraudulent federal licensing arrangements, fabricated leases, false statements about how buildings and property would be used, and repeated assurances to federal, state, and local officials that the operation was lawful.”
“As alleged in the indictments, the enterprise was designed to deceive the agencies and officials that came into contact with it, and a disregard for human life pervaded its operations and created the conditions that produced the Oakdale Fire,” the response says. “These allegations remain to be proven in court. They nonetheless provide critical context that the (civil) grand jury did not have, and materially undermine the report’s central claim that county staff knew the true nature of the operation and chose not to act following a site visit on June 2, 2022.”
On that date, the county’s chief building official, Scott Doolittle, sent an email to colleagues raising concerns about property owner Sam Machado’s application for the installation of a 200-amp electrical panel for a 4,500-square-foot storage building — a request that seemed inconsistent with the application's claim of agricultural use, The Davis Enterprise previously reported.
“I just want to give you an alert that I will be heading out to a site for a meter release this afternoon,” Doolittle wrote. “Why is this news? I received a tip that the site is being used to run a pyrotechnics business. Sheriff deputies, potentially including deputies that we work with, are reported to be involved in the business. They are using an ag exempt building plus 25 Conex boxes for the operation.”
Doolittle outlined plans “to gather more information and verify the reports, but I will tread lightly today. Then we can discuss how to proceed," the email says.
He later sent out additional emails confirming the pyrotechnics operations. The email chain reached a hazmat specialist with the Yolo County Environmental Health Division — which is overseen by the Community Services Department — who on June 3, 2022, replied that “if the facility is handling new or waste fireworks at or above reportable quantities, then they need to submit a Hazardous Materials Business Plan” that, if approved, would undergo annual review with a facility inspection every three years.
The email exchanges on this subject halted abruptly after this, and no plan was ever submitted, county officials confirmed to The Enterprise last summer.
Court case continues
In addition to its general response, the county’s reply addresses nearly three dozen findings and recommendations contained in the civil grand jury report, as required by law.
“Where the report identifies practical ways to strengthen county programs, procedures, training, coordination, and oversight, the board and the other respondents agree and are already taking action,” the document says. “Where the report substitutes speculation for evidence, particularly in its conclusions about the knowledge, conduct, and motives of county staff and the board, the respondents reject those conclusions and explain why.
"The board will not allow legitimate questions about administrative procedures to be transformed into a claim that county staff or the board bear causal responsibility for this tragedy,” officials wrote. “Responsibility for the deaths of the seven workers must be placed where the evidence supports it. As alleged in the pending criminal proceedings, that responsibility rests with the enterprise and the people who built it, concealed it, expanded it, and continued operating it until their conduct culminated in catastrophe.”
Meanwhile, the Esparto criminal case continues to make its way through the Yolo Superior Court system.
On April 3, a criminal grand jury indicted the eight defendants for their alleged roles in the Oakdale incident, including former Yolo County sheriff’s employees Sam Machado and Tammy Machado, the property’s owners; Devastating Pyrotechnics owner Kenneth Chee and BlackStar Fireworks owner Craig Cutright, both of whom operated their businesses on the site.
Also named in the documents are Chee associates Douglas Tollefsen, Gary Chan Jr., Jack Lee and Ronald Botelho III. Sam Machado, Chee, Tollefsen, Chan and Lee each face seven counts of second-degree murder — one for each of the employees who perished — under the theory they knowingly permitted the dangerous atmosphere with conscious disregard for human life.
Since then, Cutright and the Machados have been released from jail custody on bail bonds. Chee, Tollefsen, Chan and Lee remain in the Yolo County Jail on no-bail holds, while Botelho is jailed on related charges Del Norte County.
The case returns to court July 1 — coincidentally, the explosion's one-year anniversary — for further proceedings. Judge Daniel Maguire has indicated he’ll consider making public the transcripts of the criminal grand jury proceedings, currently filed under seal.
A plume of smoke rises into the sky following a July 1, 2025, fireworks explosion outside Esparto that killed seven people and damaged neighboring properties.
Courtesy photo
County disputes alleged role in Oakdale Fire catastrophe
www.davisenterprise.com
A civil grand jury jumped the gun in assigning blame to Yolo County employees and the county’s Board of Supervisors for the July 1, 2025, Esparto fireworks explosion — known0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Alameda County Civil Grand Jury: Jails Clean, Critical Upgrades Needed for Aging Facilities
davisvanguard.org/2026/06/alameda-county-grand-jury-report/
Vanguard News Group
June 22, 20260
By Nancy Carrillo
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The 2025-26 Alameda County Grand Jury found that the county’s jail and in-custody holding facilities were generally clean, orderly and well-managed, though it noted that some older facilities require infrastructure upgrades to maintain safety and efficiency.
Alameda County undergoes jail and in-custody holding facility inspections by the Grand Jury. After inspecting the Wiley Manuel Courthouse holding cells, Juvenile Justice Center (JJC), East County Hall of Justice (ECHO-J) and Rene C. Davidson Courthouse holding cells, the Grand Jury concluded that the facilities were clean, orderly and generally well-managed, though some older facilities require infrastructure upgrades.
The 2025-26 Alameda County Grand Jury Final Report states that, under Penal Code Section 919(b), the Grand Jury is to “inquire into the condition and management” of these facilities.
The report reveals that the Wiley Manuel Courthouse holding cells “house detainees temporarily during court appearances,” with approximately 30 to 135 detainees per day. Detainees are reported to spend six hours at the courthouse, where they are separated into holding cells based on classification. With trained staff on first aid, CPR and AED use, the Grand Jury found that the facility met or exceeded expectations.
The report focused on the JJC, stating that the facility houses up to 300 youth detainees ages 12 to 22. The report, noting that the facility housed 54 juvenile detainees at the time of the inspection, stated that the Grand Jury was pleased with the number of services and programs available, ranging from academic education and health services that specialize in juveniles with special needs to recreational facilities that include a gym, library and computer room.
In terms of security, the report emphasized that JJC had 24/7 camera monitoring, monthly emergency drills, a dedicated emergency generator, food supplies and water reserves. The JJC was described as exceptionally clean, well-stocked and supportive of rehabilitation through extensive programming.
The ECHO-J facility serves as a temporary holding facility for detainees attending court proceedings. With average daily occupancy ranging from 45 to 50 detainees, most remain for one to four hours and do not stay overnight.
The report found that the ECHO-J facility exceeded expectations regarding cleanliness, noting that the cells were clean and equipped with toilets, sinks, benches and call buttons. Daily cleanings were conducted, and first-aid equipment, AEDs and fire extinguishers were readily available.
The last facility the Grand Jury inspected was the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse holding cells, which serve felony detainees attending court proceedings. The facility has an average of 40 daily detainees, increasing to 60 to 70 on Fridays, with detainees staying between four and six hours and a maximum stay of eight hours.
Facility conditions were praised, with the Grand Jury finding clean rooms, trained deputies and additional accommodations for pregnant detainees, such as seating pads and extra jackets.
However, the Grand Jury noted some concerns regarding the ECHO-J facility because of its age. Founded in 1936, the ECHO-J facility is one of the county’s oldest facilities. The report identified aging camera systems, HVAC equipment, electrical infrastructure and cell-door mechanisms as requiring upgrades.
Overall, ECHO-J was praised for how the facility has been maintained, while the report emphasized the need for continued modernization of its aging infrastructure.
Alameda Grand Jury: Jails Clean, Critical Upgrades Needed for Aging Facilities - Davis Vanguard
davisvanguard.org
The 2025-26 Alameda County Grand Jury determined that the county's jail and in-custody holding facilities were generally clean, orderly, and well-managed, though its findings highlighted the necessity...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Yolo County Civil Grand Jurors Organize a New Support and Advocacy Chapter
davisvanguard.org/2026/06/yolo-county-cgja-chapter/
Vanguard Media Group
June 21, 20260 comments
By Ahna H.
The newly formed Yolo County Chapter of the California Civil Grand Jurors’ Association (CGJA) has launched, aiming to create a dedicated network of former grand jurors who are focused on promoting local government transparency, supporting current grand jurors, and recruiting future grand jurors.
“We had our first meeting in late 2025 and ‘hit the ground running,’ in 2026,” said Chapter president, Mike Familia. “We’re looking forward to increasing our outreach efforts and lending our support to both current grand jurors and the Superior Court of Yolo County Jury Services.”
The current Yolo County Chapter of CGJA board slate is as follows:
President: Mike Familia
Vice president: Bob Phibbs
Secretary: Barbara Sommer
Treasurer: Karen Buchko
Member-at-Large: Ahna Heller
In addition to outreach efforts, the new chapter will host the statewide CGJA annual conference in Sacramento on November 1 – 2.
Yolo County Civil Grand Jurors Organize a New Support and Advocacy Chapter - Davis Vanguard
davisvanguard.org
The newly established Yolo County Chapter of the California Civil Grand Jurors' Association (CGJA) has commenced operations, aiming to foster local government transparency, provide support for current...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Front Page Los Angeles Times- Civil Grand Jury News-LA County and the Los Angeles Zoo
By Ruben Vives
A Los Angeles County civil grand jury report says the L.A. Zoo can’t continue operating the way it has been, citing deterioration of its facilities and rapidly declining membership.
The grand jury urged city officials to create a new public-private partnership, saying the action is crucial for the landmark zoo’s long-term survival.
The L.A. Zoo is the last major American zoo governed by a city department, the report said. The grand jury noted that managing it requires navigating a bureaucratic jungle that includes theZoo Commission, neighborhood councils, the city attorney, the city controller and other departments, as well as the mayor and the City Council.
The grand jury found that the city, faced with financial problems including a $1-million budget shortfall this year, would continue to struggle in managing the zoo, which has deteriorated and lacks funding for maintenance and new projects amid ongoing revenue loss.
According to the report, zoo membership dropped from 36,914 in April 2025 to 28,440 in February 2026, a 23% decrease in less than a year.
“Simply stated, to keep these important educational institutions afloat, almost all zoos across the United States have turned to public-private partnerships,” the grand jury wrote in its 2025-2026 report.
A spokesperson for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said that her office is “reviewing their recommendations — including the proposal to leverage public-private partnerships” and that Bass “looks forward to exploring these options.”
“Mayor Bass thanks the volunteer members of the Los Angeles County civil grand jury for their interest in the success of the L.A. Zoo and for their recognition of the zoo’s leadership in animal care and conservation as identified in the report,” the spokesperson said.
City officials have been talking for several years about ways to draw more visitors to the zoo.
In 2021, they unveiled a proposal for a $650-million remaking and expansion of the facility so it could better compete with tourist attractions such as Disneyland. But the plan met with some pushback from environmentalists who questioned the size of the expansion.
At the time, officials said roughly 89% of the zoo’s annual visitors were residents of Los Angeles County and 11% were tourists. A bigger zoo might draw more tourists, experts said at the time.
In 2023, the City Council approved the environmental impact report for the renovation of the 1960s-era zoo, but officials were still developing specific plans.
The grand jury said major changes to the zoo would be difficult.
“The zoo transition is extremely complex, involving chain of command, authority, management, supervision, labor, utilities, maintenance, construction, finances, and animal care (acquisition, exhibits, and disposition),” the report read.
“Every participating agency, director, and manager must understand this is not a ‘win-win’ situation, but rather a question of ‘What is best for the Zoo?’ ”
Representatives for the zoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The civil grand jury recommendation comes as the city remains in a legal dispute over a $50-million endowment with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., a longtime fundraising partner.
For nearly five decades, GLAZA assisted the zoo by funding exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs, according to the report.
“A community zoo needs consistent nourishment to flourish,” the report read. “For a zoo, besides significant volunteer participation, the nourishment is money.”
The jury noted that it is often a wealthy benefactor or nonprofit that generates that money, and for years the Los Angeles Zoo believed ithad that in GLAZA.
“When that belief turned into litigation, our zoo’s future became imperiled,” the report read. “Its relationship with GLAZA now lies in ruins, crashed on the rocky shore of a major lawsuit” in L.A. County Superior Court.
In providing its recommendation, the jury suggested that the city look at other successful private-public partnerships, including the L.A. County Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum.
Each is run by a nonprofit, with some of its leadership appointed by the county Board of Supervisors.
The Los Angeles Zoo, which houses more than 1,600 animals, has become dilapidated over the years.
Exhibits for lions, bears, sea lions and pelicans have closed because they need major renovations.
The last two elephants, Billy and Tina, were transferred last year to the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma after decades of campaigning by animal rights advocates over living conditions and a history of deaths and health challenges.
Animal rights groups had sought to have the elephants moved to a sanctuary.
The 59-year-old zoo, which occupies 133 acres in the northeastern corner of Griffith Park, has struggled to maintain its national accreditation, with federal regulators finding peeling paint and rust in some exhibits.
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors and the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums found a “critical lack of funding and staffing to address even the most basic repairs,” L.A. Zoo officials wrote in a budget document in November 2024.
The civil grand jury made similar notes when it visited the zoo as part of its inquiry.
“The Zoo is special, a community asset with naturalistic exhibits, conservation initiatives, animal interaction, and in-depth programming, providing such a meaningful experience takes money, lots of it,” the civil grand jury wrote in its report. “The City of Los Angeles today can no longer tolerate or sustain that burden on its budget.”
To safeguard the zoo’s legacy, the report recommended that the city begin looking for a new benefactor at least by April, in particular someone familiar with the public-private zoo partnership to assist with the transition.
L.A. Zoo needs to evolve, grand jury says
enewspaper.latimes.com
A Los Angeles County civil grand jury report says the L.A. Zoo can’t continue operating the way it has been, citing deterioration of its facilities and rapidly declining membership.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Shasta County Grand Jurors' Association
Media coverage: 2026 Shasta County Grand Jury Report examing funding for the Redding Civic Auditorium.
New Grand Jury report examines city funding for Redding Civic Auditorium
krcrtv.com
The Shasta County Civil Grand Jury has released a new report examining the City of Redding's decision to provide capital improvement funding for the Redding Civ0 CommentsComment on Facebook
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.
