mccgja.org/news-letter-March 2019

CALENDAR

April 18, 2-4PM.  Interview Training, Room 410B, Civic Center

May 7, 9, 14 and 16- Interviews for 2019-2020 Grand Jury.

May 30- Drawing for new Jury and swearing in

(Garden outside Cafeteria).

July 8-12- Training  for the new jurors and alternates.

July 16- First meeting of the 2019-2020 Grand Jury

OUTREACH COMMITTEE

During October 2018, the Outreach Committee manned booths at the county’s Volunteer and Senior Fairs. Twenty-seven visitors signed up to receive additional information.  On February 28, emails were sent to all 27 with 3 responding as “interested.”

Outreach Committee members posted notices on Next Dooras well as flyers attached to various bulletin boards around the county. The committee purchased a series of six ads in the Marin IJ to announce upcoming “Public Information”events.  These Outreach events are all confirmed with three completed as of this writing.  It was disappointing that attendance at the first two, Larkspur and the San Rafael YMCA, was -0- (stormy weather may have been a factor for the YMCA event). Attendance at the third presentation at Dominican College, arranged by David Gabriel, was 10.  Interest seemed piqued and the event was a positive one.

Remaining are five confirmed presentations plus at least one yet to be scheduled.  They will take place in San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, San Geronimo and Bel Marin Keys.  MCCGJA member, Louetta Erlin, gave a one-hour presentation at her residence, The Redwoods in Mill Valley, and reported that there was some interest.

Nadine Muller has arranged for a PSA on the West Marin radio station, KWMR.org; April 10that 8:30AM- Streams on-line.

The committee is aware of the task of promoting diversity on the Grand Jury and is following up with organizations which may be able to help ‘get the word out.’

To date 30 applications have been submitted.  The deadline for submissions is April 22.

Penny Moreci

SELECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Selection Advisory Committee began ramping up in January for this year’s interview and selection process toward formation of the 2019-2020 Civil Grand Jury.  Our first task was to review the interview questions and other supporting documents. This is in order to make revisions and additions based on feedback from participants from the previous year and committee members.  The documents were then forwarded to the Presiding Judge, Paul Haakenson and County Counsel for their approval.

We then moved on to reviewing the interviewer list after which invitations were emailed to those being asked to participate this year.  From the responses we will be able to create a schedule for the four days of interviewing.  As we have in the past, the committee will provide a training session in mid April for new interviewers and those wanting a refresher.  This year the interviews and group activity will take place on May 7th, 9th, 14thand 16thin Judge Haakenson’s courtroom.  With four days of

interviewing allowing for up to three shifts of six applicants, we will have the capacity to consider as many as 72 candidates.  As of this writing, we have 29 applicants.

Rich Treadgold will again facilitate the group activity, which provides the opportunity for candidates to interact in a brainstorming experience while being observed by the Presiding Judge and former jurors.

After the group activity, the candidates will be interviewed by two former jurors in the jury rooms behind the courtroom.  Finally, the entire group will assemble to review the activity observations and interview results.

The drawing for the new jury will take place on May 30, in the garden outside the cafeteria.  All MCCGJA members are invited.

Tom Borden