Grand Jury’s Watchdog Role

* As a member of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury, 1990-1991, I commend Bill Boyarsky for his column, “The Watchdog With Scant Time to Watch” (May 11). The 1990-1991 grand jury was the last to perform watchdog functions. Freed from hearing criminal cases, the 1990-1991 grand jury was able to address its other mandated functions: inspecting the 165 jails in the county; investigating and responding to citizen complaints, beginning investigations, and appointing its auditors, and making its final report to the Board of Supervisors. During the year, we spent only 54 days in hearing cases brought by the district attorney.

When our term ended, six of us wrote to Presiding Judge Rick Torres, asking that a second jury be impaneled to hear criminal cases. We said, “The mere presence of the grand jury as well as its inquiries has been of inestimable help in improving government and making it more responsible to the citizenry. It is an important part of the system of checks and balances that make our form of government unique.”

There is another aspect of the grand jury role that Boyarsky did not touch, and that is the jury makeup. The current grand jury does not reflect the demographic profile of the county. The 1990-1991 panel had no African or Asian Americans, and three had Spanish last names. Although to qualify for appointments, one needs to be at least 18 years of age, the grand jury is not surfeited with young people. Most members are retired, elderly and have independent incomes. With jurors receiving $25 per day, poor and middle-income people need not apply. We recommended to Judge Torres that this apparent economic discrimination be addressed through increasing the daily stipend or creating a special fund, thus allowing a broader sector of our community to serve without economic hardship.

As Boyarsky noted, it’s time for a change!

ROBERT S. VOGEL

Pasadena

* Boyarsky’s column talks about ways to improve the grand jury system.

Both grand jurors who spoke up were members of the Continuity Committee of the 1992-1993 grand jury, which recommended an automated computer tracking system to monitor compliance with previous grand jury recommendations. That grand jury did buy a computer from the printing budget, reduced the cost of publishing final reports and began uploading previous grand jury files into the system.

There are two other resources to provide continuity and track responses to grand jury recommendations. The Grand Jurors Assn. of Los Angeles County was formed in 1955 to provide continuity, and March 1, 1977, the association was given authority from the Board of Supervisors to provide them directly with reports as to adequate implementation of those approved for implementation or study at no cost to the county. In 1993-94, the GJA has followed up reports on expansion of the Pasadena jail lockup, which was approved in 1992, study of the Children’s Court procedures listed in two recent reports and a report on community-based policing and gangs.

The California Grand Jurors Assn. makes statewide surveys about grand jury activities and is currently implementing a Grand Jury Report Indexing program which will help track findings and recommendations. CGJA also helps counties share information.

CGJA’s annual meeting on May 1 endorsed SB 2000, which establishes a minimum uniform standard for governing body/official compliance and requirement to comment on findings and recommendations of final grand jury reports. They would have to say yes, it has been implemented; it will be implemented with timetable; recommended for further analysis, or it will not be implemented, with reasons and explanation.

A study made by the 1991-92 Los Angeles County grand jurors estimated that their work on criminal indictments saved the county about $1,273,000 over the cost of preliminary hearings. They also made recommendations on elder-care services for older people, Exit L.A. to keep businesses from moving out, gangs, juvenile services, pensions, Save Our Water, sludge disposal and the fiscal impact of illegal immigrants.

PATRICIA YEOMANS, President

1994-96, Calif. Grand Jurors Assn.

Los Angeles