###

PREVIOUSLY

• TODAY in SUPES: Board Censures Bushnell, Removes Her From Chair Role and Asks Grand Jury to Review the Board’s Own Code of Conduct

###

Press release from the Humboldt Chapter of the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association of California:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has been in the news lately. On November 4, 2025, the Board of Supervisors asked two of its members to draft a letter to the Civil Grand Jury. They requested that the Grand Jury not only study the Board of Supervisors Code of Conduct and Ethics to see if it needs improvement, but also to recommend any possible changes. To read the Code yourself, go to [this link].

This request is not a slam dunk; the Civil Grand Jury may or may not act on this request. The Board of Supervisors can only request a study from the Civil Grand Jury; they cannot demand or commission a study. The Civil Grand Jury is an entity unto itself, it does not answer either to the County or the Board of Supervisors. Instead, it is a part of the Humboldt County Superior Court, and the Civil Grand Jury decides for itself what it will study, investigate and issue reports on. 

By law, the Civil Grand Jury acts by a supermajority vote. Here in Humboldt, our jury is considered full at 19 members, making a supermajority consisting of 12 people. No public action can be taken until at least 12 agree. Even if the membership falls to less than 19, any and all actions must be approved by the supermajority of 12. This ensures a Grand Jury that acts slowly and deliberately, not on a whim or impulse.

When the Board of Supervisors sends its letter, it may also request a meeting with the Civil Grand Jury. This meeting would be confidential as are all Grand Jury meetings and interviews. The Grand Jury does not explain or publicize any of its meetings or actions.

All complaints and requests for an action are handled exactly the same way, no matter who makes them. All complaints are judged only on their merits. Complaints are submitted several ways. You may use the form shown on the Civil Grand Jury website. But it can also be in the form of a letter, email, or phone call.

The State Penal Code requires that the Grand Jury discuss them all; then vote by supermajority whether or not to pursue a study. The Grand Jury will only send out a confirming letter or phone call that the complaint was received but not what was decided. Instead, if the specific complaint or request for an action was studied, it may be included in a Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury Report. These Reports are usually released beginning in the Spring of each year. 

Because the Civil Grand Jury sessions run from July 1st of one year through June 30th of the following year, some complaints or requests for action may be received too late in the session for the Grand Jury to study. When that happens, the Grand Jury may vote (again by supermajority) to carry the complaint over for next year’s Grand Jury to consider. 

A complaint to the Civil Grand Jury may start an investigation and even result in a report. The Grand Jury investigates a variety of subjects during its term but only decides to issue reports on only a few. Reports require much time and preparation and are released only by a supermajority vote. Prior to publishing, each report is sent to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. Once the Judge has signed it, the report will be released to the public and published on the County’s website. 

Please read the 2024-25 Grand Jury reports on that same website. Responses to the various recommendations and findings are published there, too. The reports are the culmination of a year’s work, thought, effort, and commitment. If this sounds interesting to you, please contact the Humboldt County Superior Court for an application. You may also pick up a paper copy on the Grand Jury’s door on the first floor of the Courthouse, or download an application at [link].