Full Scale Reviews

Recommendation: Undertake a program to inform judges of the Superior Court and the public at large of the role and functions of the Grand Jury. Response: The Grand Jury agrees.

Recommendation: All persons considered on the list of potential members should be required to complete an application resume and be interviewed by at least one judge of the Superior Court. Response: The Grand Jury agrees.

Recommendation: The application resume currently in use should be expanded to include questions regarding the nominee/volunteer's understanding of the functions and structure of local government, the authority and function of the Grand Jury and the amount of time the individual is able and willing to devote to Grand Jury service. Response: The Grand Jury agrees in principle, but there was some disagreement as to the type of questions which would be useful.

Recommendation: Members of the outgoing Grand Jury should conduct a briefing for the 40 individuals whose names are drawn from the list of nominees to reiterate the authorities, functions and time require- ments associated with Grand Jury service. Response: The Grand Jury agrees and the 1981-82 Grand Jury stands ready to implement this recommenda- tion if it is authorized to do so.

Recommendation: An alternative arrangement for Grand Jury terms, preferably overlapping one year terms, should be considered to provide for continuity between grand juries and increased follow-up on

Recommendation: Orientation and training for individuals selected to serve on the Grand Jury should begin approximately 30 days prior to swearing-in on a two or three day per week schedule. Response: The Grand Jury agrees and the 1981-82 Grand Jury plans to offer orientation on an optional basis to 1982-83 Grand Jurors.

the number of committees to which any member may belong should be restricted so that committee meetings can be scheduled and conducted on a single day as a rule. Response: The Grand Jury agrees. 76

Recommendation: The Audit Committee should require attendance by the contract auditor at regularly scheduled meetings and other meetings where planned, current or completed reviews are discussed. Response: The Grand Jury agrees. The 1981-82 Grand Jury has been following this practice.

Recommendation: Representatives of the Grand Jury should participate in the early phases of any exami- nation undertaken by the contract auditor in order to gain a first-hand understanding of the issues and the officials involved in the matter being reviewed. Response: The Grand Jury agrees. The 1981-82 Grand Jury has been following this practice.

Recommendation: Representatives of the Grand Jury should communicate with representatives of the CAO Management Services Division, Auditor-Controller's Office and Economy and Efficiency Commission early in the year to discuss the schedules of each organization for reviews and examinations during the year and to establish cooperative arrangements for sharing of information. Response: The Grand Jury agrees. The 1981-82 Grand Jury's Audit Committee took into consideration work recently done or planned by these offices in developing its list of proposed audits, and representatives of the Grand Jury accompanied the contract auditor on interviews of representatives from the Chief Administrative Office and the County Auditor-Controller as one of the early steps in each audit.

Recommendation: The Auditor-Controller's Office and the CAO's Management Services Division should be consulted as one of the first steps in most reviews. Response: The Grand Jury agrees and, as noted in response to Recommendation No. 11, has followed this practice.

Recommendation: Grand Jury examinations should concentrate on the areas outlined in applicable sections of the Penal Code while avoiding detailed department-wide organizational and operational reviews. Response: The Grand Jury agrees. The Grand Jury and its contract auditor have conducted preliminary overviews of departments selected for audit to determine which areas of those departments would be most productive to review, Resources have been concentrated on reviewing those areas. 121

Recommendation: The Grand Jury and its separate committees should focus on areas to be examined and begin work on them as early as possible. Response: The Grand Jury agrees.

Recommendation: The Grand Jury should evaluate the appropriateness of receiving full-time legal advice from a Deputy District Attorney and consider the advisability and feasibility of alternatives. Response: The Grand Jury does not agree. The Jury agrees that full-time services of a Deputy District 200000 Attorney are not now needed, and would point out that at present the Deputy serving the Jury does other work for the District Attorney as well. He estimates that other work has taken approximately 30 percent of his time this year. TO SECTION However, the Jury strongly believes it needs an "on site" legal counsel, i.e., stationed in Grand Jury quarters. Questions involving criminal law do not arise solely in connection with indictment proceed- 47.5 77 Policians.