Visiting a prison and writing a report on its quality may not seem like a great way to spend a day but for members of the Ventura County Grand Jury, it is just part of the job. Grand Jury member Bob Engler spoke about the duty and responsibilities of the jury with fellow member Walter Gause to a packed room of students at the Moorpark College Campus Center on Thursday, Oct. 16.
“We find out if the taxpayer’s money is put to good use,” Engler said. Engler’s comments followed the Dr. Klaus Fischer’s speech on Oct. 13 as part of the Year of Democracy series, with future speakers of Congress-hopeful Marta Jorgensen on Monday, Oct. 27 and a post-election wrap-up panel on Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.
Engler and Gause first informed the students that the Grand Jury is a collection of notable citizens who are charged with identifying wrongdoers and local aspects of government that need to be corrected. A Grand Jury is different than a normal jury due to the fact that the former is made up of pre-selected, notable citizens who apply for the position, and basic, “petit” juries, are made up of those who are randomly selected who must do their job.
One of the main duties of the county’s 19-member Grand Jury, an arm of the State of California, is to oversee civil government agencies, to investigate citizen complaints, and to make a yearly report on its findings. The jury has the authority to investigate all county departments (except for the courts), all ten counties, and all agencies, districts, and unincorporated areas, Engler said.
All citizens over 18 years of age are encouraged to apply for a seat on the jury. However, due to the large time commitment of up to 40 hours a week and a compensation rate of $20 daily, the current jury members are all retirees seeking to serve the community. Engler is the youngest member. “They call me the kid,” Engler said.
A few complaints the jury recently investigated were the possible violations of the Brown Act in the Thousand Oaks City Council, the lack of police protection at night in Simi Valley city parks and the possible need for a new fire station in Ventura, Engler said. Sociology and criminology Professor Dan Vieira, whose students came to see the presentation for class credit, was pleased by the presentation.
“The presentation gave the students an insight into how the system operates,” Vieira said. Political Science Professor Lee Ballestero was very excited to have individuals from the Grand Jury come and speak for the Year of Democracy. “Students often forget about local government–be it local elections or local institutions,” Ballestero said. “I would like to invite more members from the local community to campus, in the future, to expose students to how their city and county works.”
Those who have an interest in the Grand Jury may visit its website at www.grandjury.countyofventura.org.
