About the Civil Grand Jury

What we do

The Civil Grand Jury is Marin County’s only independent watchdog of government agencies and services. We are 19 volunteers who investigate and monitor the performance of local government agencies.

We make recommendations to improve local government by issuing several investigative reports every year. We are empowered by the judicial system and are independent of administrators, politicians, and legislators.

The Civil Grand Jury is different from a Criminal Grand Jury. A Criminal Grand Jury reviews indictments brought by the County District Attorney to determine if there is sufficient evidence to hold a trial.

Who we are

Budget, revenue, and contracts

The Jury’s budget is included in the annual budget of the County Counsel department for the County of Marin. The Grand Jury does not receive any fees for services, bonds, taxes, or grants.

The Civic Grand Jury doesn’t issue requests for proposals for bids from outside vendors.

Meetings

Civil Grand Jurors attend weekly investigative committees and meetings. Since Grand Jurors are sworn to secrecy, there are no published meeting minutes or agendas.

Members

The foreperson of the Civil Grand Jury is selected by the Superior Court.
Members of the Civil Grand Jury are chosen through a formal selection process that includes: an application, a background check, and interviews.
Juror names are announced at the start of the term.
Jurors are paid $20/day for each day they attend a committee meeting and are reimbursed for mileage. Additional expenses (for materials) are decided on an as-needed basis.

Administrative officials

The staff aide to the Civil Grand Jury is Heather Callan. More County staff are available to support the Grand Jury as-needed.

Audits and records

The Civil Grand Jury’s audits are included in the annual audits of the County Counsel’s office.

Since the Civil Grand Jury is required to operate in secrecy, the public cannot request any of their records.