Foreman's Letter

June 20. 1998

To: The Honorable Ronald M. Brown Mendocino County Board of Supervisors

It was the particular genius of the Age of Enlightenment to celebrate the capacity of humans to do good. Thomas Jefferson projected that ideal onto society as a whole, creating a system of self-governance, for and by the people, based on faith in the right of citizens to determine and serve the civic good. With that in mind, the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution created the Grand Jury as an American institution through which citizens could provide a check on the power of governmental authority.

Each year for the last 148 years, 19 individuals have been impaneled as the County of Mendocino Grand Jury. They come together as strangers. few versed in the ways of government, and' are given an opportunity to serve as citizen watchdogs of their government in Mendocino County. What they do with that opportunity is up to them.

- It was my great fortune this year to serve with a group of jurors who individually and collectively rose to meet the demands of that opportunity. Their willingness to grapple with some of the most difficult issues facing government in Mendocino County, their tenacity in asserting the Grand Jury's right to access documents and testimony. their diligence in coming to a thorough understanding of the issues before them, and the unrelenting reasonableness (in spite of my besi efforts to the contrary) of the reports they produced, all reflect the seriousness and enthusiasm that marked their service on the Grand Jury. It was a singular honor for me to have served them as their Foreman.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you. Judge Brown, for appointing me Foreman, and for your support of me in that role. Your counsel and direction was invaluable to me. I know I speak for the Grand Jury as a whole in expressing our appreciation for the assistance you lent us through the issuance of a court order to the Department of Social Services providing us with access to records, and in the appointment of Special Counsel to the Grand Jury. Those actions were essential to the success of the affected investigations while also furnishing moral support to the Grand Jury. Again, thank you.

As noted above, our Special Counsels served the Grand Jury well; given their already busy law practices, I wish to acknowledge the time and energy they exerted on our behalf, and voice my gratitude to them for the vital assistance they gave us.

One of ihe true pleasures of my service on the Grand Jury has been meeting private citizens who bring their concerns to us. What many of them share is a genuinely idealistic vision of government attending to the commonweal. Whether I agreed with the particulars of their analysis of issues or not, their commitment to that vision, their willingness lo spend long hours researching problems and solutions without any assurance that anyone with the power to effect change would listen or care, was a source of personal inspiration to me. I believe they are a much more valuable resource than some in positions of authority give them credit for.

Along those same lines, I have also been quite struck by the forthrightness of the majority of the government line workers who testified before the Grand Jury. They were willing to candidly discuss the problems they face and offered insights to solutions to those problems in order that they may more effectively serve the people of Mendocino County. Furthermore, they are often eager. hungry, to do so. I believe the input of these professionals. again, represents a tremendous resource that could be more effectively utilized.

On a much more somber note, the death of one of our members, Giovanni Leoni, must not go unremarked. Giovanni was one of the most fundamentally deceni and genuine human beings I have ever met. He displayed an innocence that was born not of naivete. but rather a good heart that was neither corrupted no demoralized by the knowledge of pain and cynicism in the world. We, his fellow Grand Jurors, offer our condolences to his family as we too, mourn his passing.

Sincerely,

Joel Steed

Foreman

1997-98 Grand Jury

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