Grand Jury In The News

The Marin 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury was awarded the “Best Grand Jury Report” for its report “Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach” by the California Grand Jurors’ Association at their Annual Conference on October 26, 2020. The report’s recognition and presentation of the unprecedented danger posed by wildfire and the specific recommendations made, became the foundation for the proposal to form the JPA referendum that was passed by over 70% of Marin County voters. The result is the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority that has brought together 17 different fire districts, municipalities and communities service districts to proactively prevent wildfires though preparedness methods.

Below is an index of articles from local publications related to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury. They are organized by year. Each entry provides the date of the article, the title and source which is also a link to the full article and the Grand Jury report to which it refers, if any.

Quick Link to Articles by Year on this Page

2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
2023

[NOTE: All Marin County Civil Grand Jury Reports can be found at
Marin County Grand Jury Reports and Responses]

2024 Article

Date	Headlines & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
Apr 21	Dick Spotswood Opinion Marin IJ	What Have They Done? An Update on the Responses to the 2022-2023 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Reports     Published April 8, 2024

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
Oct 22	Marin County Civil Grand Jury 2022-2023 – Final report Summaries Marin IJ	Marin County Civil Grand Jury Final Reports Marin County website
Oct 22	SMART looks to enhance communications strategy Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
Aug 20	The Novato mobile park makes a strong case Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
Aug 18	Supervisors plan DA office study MarinIJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
Aug 17	SMART set to launch intense tax renewal plan Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
Aug 13	Focus placed on services structure Marin IJ	The Coming Wave of Older Adults —Is Marin Prepared? Published May 30, 2023
July 30	Marin DA fires back at grand jury Marin IJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
July 23	Dick Spotswood: SMART must reach ridership projections Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
July 15	Dick Spotswood: Marin needs to solve issue of confusing, varied ADU fees Marin IJ	Build More ADUs – An Rx to Increase Marin’s Housing Supply Published June 15, 2023
July 15	Editorial: SMART must convince taxpayers to extend support Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
July 10	Water utilities need improved dam safety plans Marin IJ	Dam and Reservoir Safety Water May Save Us – Water May Drown Us Published June 27, 2023
July 9	Keep a close eye on behavioral health in Marin Marin IJ	Marin’s Behavioral Health Services: All Calls for Help Need to Be Answered Published June 20, 2023
July 7	SMART urged to build trust to survive Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
July 7	Profitability numbers conflict for Novato mobile home park Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
July 6	Marin grand jury urges SMART to bolster public support for sales tax renewal Marin IJ	SMART at a Crossroads Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Published June 22, 2023
July 3	Clear hurdles for ADUs so they can help Marin IJ	Build More ADUs – An Rx to Increase Marin’s Housing Supply Published June 15, 2023
June 29	Officials ponder ongoing deficits Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
June 27	Novato gets $30M offer for its mobile home park Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
June 24	County adopts $784M budget MarinIJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
June 23	Budget issues need solution for city’s health Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
June 19	County must raise wages for in-home health workers Marin IJ	The Coming Wave of Older Adults —Is Marin Prepared? Published May 30, 2023
June 18	Novato cold raise sales tax to address budget deficit Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
June 14	Sales tax increase urges for Novato Marin IJ	Novato’s Chronic Fiscal Deficits: A Call to Action Published June 8, 2023
June 11	Editorial: Listen to calls for expanded senior services Marin IJ	The Coming Wave of Older Adults —Is Marin Prepared? Published May 30, 2023
June 11	Energy blackout defense urged Marin IJ	Electrical Resiliency — It’s Time to Do More Published June 5, 2023
June 10	Marin grand jury: Water utilities should fortify dam safety plans Marin IJ	Dam and Reservoir Safety Water May Save Us – Water May Drown Us Published June 27, 2023
June 9	DA: Funds fall short for case backlog Marin IJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
June 5	Panel: Boost office for aging Marin IJ	The Coming Wave of Older Adults —Is Marin Prepared? Published May 30, 2023
May 30	Editorial: Marin deserves fact-based response from its district attorney Marin IJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
May 21	DA’s office tied to case backlog Marin IJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
May 20	Marin grand jury blames DA’s office for backlog of cases Marin IJ	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
May 15	Grand jury report blames Marin County D.A. for excessive case delays SF Chronicle	Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied — Marin District Attorney’s Office in Crisis Published May 15, 2023
May 8	Marin Voice: Supervisors should fulfill promise, push for oversight of Sheriff’s Office Marin IJ	Sheriff Oversight: The Time Is Now Published June 15, 2022
Jan 25	Marin Voice: County Civil Grand Jury sounds a call to serve Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report
Jan 20	How climate change may impact Marin Marin IJ	Climate Change: How Will Marin Adapt? Published September 11, 2020

2022 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
Nov 28	Marin Voice: Cities, towns should act now to create all-electric construction ordinances Marin IJ	Electrifying Marin’s Buildings: A Countywide Approach Published June 6, 2022
Aug 29	Marin Voice: Examining MMWD decisions from a firefighters’ perspective Marin IJ	A Roadmap to Water Resilience for Marin Municipal Water District Published June 13, 2022 Water, Water Anywhere? A Review of Marin’s Water Resources Published April 27, 2005
Sept 24	Marin County Civil Grand Jury 2021-2022 Final Report Summaries Marin IJ sponsored advertisement insert	Marin County Civil Grand Jury Final Reports Published April 11, 2022 – June 24, 2022
Sept 13	Marin water supplier defends drought response in report Marin IJ	Affordable Housing: Time for Collaboration in Marin Published June 24, 2022
July 5	Marin grand jury: Housing crisis calls for collaboration Marin IJ	Affordable Housing: Time for Collaboration in Marin Published June 24, 2022
July 2	Dick Spotswood: Grand jury’s MMWD critique intensifies need for clarity before election Marin IJ	A Roadmap to Water Resilience for Marin Municipal Water District Published June 13, 2022
June 28	Marin grand jury endorses citizens oversight board for sheriff Marin IJ	Sheriff Oversight: The Time Is Now Published June 15, 2022
June 26	Marin supervisors approve $716 million budget Marin IJ	COVID-19 Response in Marin County: Successes and Next Steps Published May 25, 2022
June 21	Marin grand jury report blasts water supply planning Marin IJ	A Roadmap to Water Resilience for Marin Municipal Water District Published June 13, 2022
June 15	Grand jury says emergency office could report to supes instead of sheriff Pt Reyes Light	COVID-19 Response in Marin County: Successes and Next Steps Published May 25, 2022
June 14	Marin panel urges faster shift to all-electric buildings Marin IJ	Electrifying Marin’s Buildings: A Countywide Approach Published June 6, 2022
May 31	Marin grand jury recommends sweeping review of COVID-19 response Marin IJ	COVID-19 Response in Marin County: Successes and Next Steps Published May 25, 2022
May 30	Marin Voice: County comes together for upcoming gun buyback event Marin IJ	The Gun Next Door: Firearm Safety in Marin County Published October 30, 2020
May 21	Marin supervisors accept grant for schools cop Marin IJ	School Resource Officers Revisited Published May 30, 2019
May 5	Marin panel assesses pandemic’s effects on schools Marin IJ	Marin Schools: A Prescription for COVID Recovery Published April 27, 2022
Feb 26	Marin DA restores local sexual assault examinations Marin IJ	Sexual Assault in Marin Evidence Collection, Processing and Backlog Published April 25, 2018
Feb 23	Breakthrough on Localization of Sex Assault Exams  News Releases & Advisories for Marin County	Sexual Assault in Marin Evidence Collection, Processing and Backlog Published April 25, 2018

2021 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
Sept 22	San Rafael council declares climate emergency Marin IJ	Climate Change: How Will Marin Adapt? Published September 11, 2020
Jan 6	Editorial: Marin must coordinate wildfire evacuation plans now Marin IJ	Roadblocks to Safer Evacuation in Marin Published January 7, 2021
Jan 3	Editorial: More can be done to curb Marin opioid overdoses, deaths Marin IJ	Opioid Misuse: Strengthening Marin County’s Response Published December 14, 2020
January 2	Marin panel urges stronger planning for wildfire evacuation routes Marin IJ	Roadblocks to Safer Evacuation in Marin Published January 3, 2021

2020 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
Dec 23	Marin Grand Jury Recommends Strengthening Opioid Misuse Response Pacific Sun	Opioid Misuse: Strengthening Marin County’s Response Published December 14, 2020
Dec 21	Marin panel urges stronger response to opioid crisis Marin IJ	Opioid Misuse: Strengthening Marin County’s Response Published December 21, 2020
Nov 25	Marin Voice: Civil Grand Jury gives supervisors a call for climate action Marin IJ	Climate Change: How Will Marin Adapt? Published September 11, 2020
Oct 31	Marin grand jury focuses on students’ mental health Marin IJ	Reading, Writing, and Therapy: Mental Health Challenges in Our Schools Published October 23, 2020
Nov 21	Marin grand jury seeks unified gun safety initiatives Marin IJ	The Gun Next Door: Firearm Safety in Marin County Published October 30, 2020
Nov 1	Marin grand jury focuses on mental health of students Marin IJ	Reading, Writing, and Therapy: Mental Health Challenges in Our Schools Published October 23, 2020
Sept 23	Watchdog calls on county to ‘reboot’ climate strategy Marin IJ	Climate Change: How Will Marin Adapt? Published September 11, 2020
Sept 22	Marin grand jury calls for centralized climate change plan Marin IJ	Climate Change: How Will Marin Adapt? Published September 11, 2020
Aug 6	Without trust, Marin City redevelopment plan won’t proceed Editorial: Marin IJ	Golden Gate Village: The Clock is Ticking Published May 24, 2018
Aug 6	Clock is still ticking for Golden Gate Village residents Marin Voice: Marin IJ	Golden Gate Village: The Clock is Ticking Published May 24, 2018
July 30	Panel sees good response to its views on issues Marin IJ	A One-Year Update on the Issues Covered by the 2018–2019 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Reports Published July 20, 2020
July 29	Watchdog says public agencies should improve access to salary information Point Reyes Light	Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices Published April 28, 2020
June 1	Grand Jury Report: Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Marin Government Marin Post	Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Marin Government Published May 11, 2020
Apr 29	Report: Marin public entities still lacking on pay transparency Marin IJ	Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices Published April 28, 2020
May 29	City, county online security problems costly Marin IJ	Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Marin Government Published May 11, 2020
May 28	Editorial: City, county online security problems costly for Marin residents Marin IJ	Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices Published April 28, 2020
May 18	Report: Marin governments still unsafe from hackers Marin IJ	Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Marin Government Published May 11, 2020
May 11	Public agencies need to do better job sharing salary information Marin IJ	Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices Published April 28, 2020
Feb 28	IJ Readers’ Forum: Overflow letters about the March 3, 2020, election Marin IJ	Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach Published April 25, 2019
January 7	Marin judge considers request for desegregation information Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report

2019 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
November 23	Editorial: Marin Civil Grand Jury has a right to investigate Sausalito-Marin City schools Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report
November 19	Grand Jury probes deal over school segregation Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report
August 17	Marin schools anti-vaping grant: Nearly $500K a year through 2022 Mercury News	Vaping An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Published May 16, 2019
July 5	Students ‘underserved’ in career technical education Marin IJ	The Status of Career Technical Education in Marin County Published June 27, 2019
July 4	The Marin County “Community Service Contracts” Program – Investigative Report (4 parts) Marin Post	The Community Service Funds – A Revisit After 12 Years Published January 7, 2013
June 19	Civil grand jury calls for more school resource officers Point Reyes Light	School Resource Officers Revisited Published May 30, 2019
June 18	Grand Jury Says County Lacks Leadership in Telecom Techwire	Marin’s Telecommunications Disconnect Published June 13, 2019
June 3	Marin grand jury calls for more school resource officers Marin IJ	School Resource Officers Revisited Published May 30, 2019
May 21	Marin Civil Grand Jury Calls for Crackdown on Vape Epidemic CBD Magnates	Vaping An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Published May 16, 2019
May 21	Youth Vaping Is An ‘Epidemic’ Patch	Vaping An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Published May 16, 2019
May 20	Marin civil grand jury urges vaping crackdown Marin IJ	Vaping An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Published May 16, 2019
May 13	Marin grand jury calls for bolstering SMART transit options Marin IJ	SMART First Mile/Last Mile Options Published May 9, 2019
April 29	Marin grand jury calls for wildfire tax, new agency Marin IJ	Wildfire Preparedness A New Approach Published April 25, 2019

2018 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
June 14	Report Recommends School Buses to Relieve Traffic in California County Schoolbus Fleet	Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief Published June 8, 2018
June 11	Marin civil grand jury calls for countywide school bus program Marin IJ	Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief Published June 8, 2018
March 4	Marin Jail’s Mental Health Care Still Deficient Anne Arundel County	Mental Health Care in Marin County Jail Follow Up Report Published February 28, 2018

2017 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
July 12	Grand Jury sees $1 billion shortfall in Marin public pensions California Political Review	The Budget Squeeze: How Will Marin Fund Its Public Employees Pensions? Published June 5, 2017
June 20	Marin Grand Jury Faults Jail on Mental Health Services Cambria County	Care of Mentally Ill Inmates in Marin County Jail Published June 15, 2017

2016 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
June 27	Marin Civil Grand Jury calls attention to sex trafficking in new report Marin IJ	Marin’s Hidden Sex Trafficking Challenge: It’s Happening In Our Backyard Published June 23, 2016

2015 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
August 1	Marin Officials Like Grand Jury’s Mental Health Plan Placer County	Marin’s Mentally Ill: What’s Being Done? Published May 19, 2015
May 24	Marin Civil Grand Jury Cites Flaws in Mental Health Agency’s Budgeting Process Orange County	Marin’s Mentally Ill: What’s Being Done? Published May 19, 2015
April 25	Civil grand jury urges Marin supervisors to lead fight against homelessness California Grand Jury News	Homelessness in Marin – A Call for Leadership Published April 23, 2015

2014 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
August 3	Marin Voice: Join the grand jury and help improve government in Marin Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report
July 27	Editorial: SMART leaders should learn from grand juries’ questions Marin IJ	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
July 24	Marin officials reject grand jury’s airport safety, security proposals Marin IJ	Gnoss Field: Yeah, But It’s Our Airport Published May 23, 2014
July 22	Two grand juries slam SMART Argus Courier	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
July 17	SMART board rejects many Marin grand jury findings, but says it needs to reflect Marin IJ	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
July 13	Dick Spotswood: SMART board needs to be talking about train service Marin IJ	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
July 9	Sonoma grand jury report faults SMART oversight Marin IJ	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
June 30	Editorial: Grand jury shines light on local laws on medical marijuana dispensaries Marin IJ	No referenced Grand Jury report
June 23	Marin grand jury calls for repair of private laterals Marin IJ	The Scoop on Marin County Sewer Systems – Part I The Scoop on Marin County Sewer Systems – Part II Published June 16, 2014
June 16	Marin grand jury: County jail overpaying for medical services Marin IJ	Jail Checkup: What’s the Price of a Clean Bill of Health Published June 13, 2014
June 12	Marin watchdog panel says special districts overlooked Marin IJ	What are special districts and why do they matter? Published May 29, 2014
June 10	Editorial: Foster care focus is worth jury’s attention Marin IJ	Shining a Light on Foster Care Published May 27, 2014
June 6	Editorial: Grand jury report on Gnoss Field a public service Marin IJ	Gnoss Field: Yeah, But It’s Our Airport Published May 23, 2014
June 1	Marin grand jury urges county to beef up foster care program Marin IJ	Shining a Light on Foster Care Published May 27, 2014
May 14	Marin County officials find it hard to cap spending account Marin IJ	The Community Service Funds: A Revisit after 12 Years Published  January 7, 2013 The Community Service Funds – The Supplement Published May 21, 2013
May 14	Marin officials pledge to improve recycling at Civic Center Marin IJ	Recycling By the Marin County Government: Walking the Talk Published February 27, 2014
May 9	Novato fire board scandal a ‘cautionary tale” California Grand Jury News	No referenced Grand Jury report
May 7	Dick Spotswood: SMART train could use a smarter board of directors Marin IJ	SMART-Down the Track Published April 30, 2014
May 7	Novato fire board scandal a ‘cautionary tale,’ grand jury says Marin IJ	Novato Fire Protection District Board: A Cautionary Tale Published May 1, 2014
May 5	Editorial: IJ recommends a ‘yes’ vote on Measure A Marin IJ	Libraries Aren’t Just for Books Anymore Published May 3, 2013
May 3	Marin Readers’ Forum for May 3 Marin IJ	School Suspension: Less is More Published March 21, 2014
April 15	Editorial: Marin grand jury finds disconnect in school discipline Marin IJ	School Suspension: Less is More Published March 21, 2014
April 5	Marin grand jury calls for fewer school suspensions Marin IJ	School Suspension: Less is More Published March 21, 2014
March 13	Editorial: San Rafael’s traffic cameras demise deserved council deliberation Marin IJ	Red Light Cameras: Big Money, Big Brother or Big Safety? Published May 14, 2012
March 1	Grand jury: Marin County Civic Center flunks recycling 101 Marin IJ	Recycling By the Marin County Government: Walking the Talk Published February 27, 2014

2013 Articles

Date	Headline & Link to Article	Grand Jury Report
August 8	Marin Officials Dismiss Grand Jury Recommendations on Marijuana NBC Bay Area	Medical Marijuana: Up in Smoke? Published May 17, 2013
May 21	Marin Grand Jury Rejects CA High Court’s Decision on Banning Pot Shops Independent Voter News	Medical Marijuana: Up in Smoke? Published May 17, 2013