Procedures
Meetings
The first few meetings of the jury should be devoted to deciding the protocols and the procedural, administrative, and decision-making rules that the Civil Grand Jury will agree to follow. In other words, getting organized.
Plenary Meetings
Plenary meetings, meetings of the entire Civil Grand Jury, are held every Monday except on court holidays, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Typically, the jury invites speakers for informational presentations from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed session begins at 5:00 p.m. The jury may meet on the Tuesday following a Monday court holiday.
Best practices for plenary meetings include:
Grand jurors submit agenda items to the Foreperson by noon of the preceding Friday.
Foreperson circulates the agenda by email in advance of the meeting.
Committee chairs submit calendaring information for all interviews and inspections, including exact locations, dates, and times and provide copies of any documents under review.
Distribute materials for any action items in advance.
See suggested plenary meeting agendas for the first eight weeks of the jury's term in the Forms, Templates, Reference Docs page.
Committee Meetings
Committee meetings are scheduled as needed.
Best practices for committee meetings include:
Committee Chair circulates the agenda in advance.
Committee Secretary keeps minutes of the meeting.
Parliamentary rules follow that of the plenary.
Meeting Spaces
Civil Grand Jury Office (Room 11)
The Civil Grand Jury has a private office and conference room for up to ten people in Room 11, on the lower level of the Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister Street. Room 11 is accessible Mondays through Fridays, except on court holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Access to Room 11 is via key card. Each grand juror is provided with a key card, which opens the door to Room 11 only. Each grand juror must return the key card to the Administrative Analyst at the end of the term. If lost, there is a fee for a replacement.
The jury maintains the schedule for the use of Room 11 in Google Calendar.
Inside Room 11, there is a desktop computer, printer, copier/scanner, mini PC and TV monitor, projector and projection screen, conference phone, Wi-Fi access, and file cabinets. Standard office supplies are also available.
In one of the file cabinet drawers, each grand juror has a folder. If the Administrative Analyst has any documents for a grand juror, they will be placed in the grand juror’s folder. There is also a folder labeled “Admin Support” where grand jurors may leave whatever they have to submit to the Administrative Analyst.
The Room 11 telephone number is (415) 551-3645. The Polycom conference phone number is (415) 551-3643.
City Hall Room 305
City Hall Room 305, on the third floor, is reserved for the Civil Grand Jury plenary meetings. The standing reservation is Mondays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., excluding court holidays.
Room 305 is equipped with a Polycom conference phone and a presentation system. The Polycom conference phone number is (415) 554-5952.