County's 2016-17 Grand Jury Impaneled

Riverside County, CA— The Riverside County Grand Jury that will scrutinize government operations and perform other tasks for the next 12 months is now in place, court officials announced this week.

The 19-member civil grand jury was selected during a drawing Friday at the Riverside Historic Courthouse and will begin training, along with six alternate jurors who will be ready to step in should a sworn juror step aside, on Monday.

The 2016-17 jury was culled from 46 applicants who submitted their names between January and March.
They are:

• Amy Phipps
• D'Arlene Fiori
• George Kossler
• George Willis
• Glen Dunagan
• Herbert Higgins
• Irvin Waitsman
• James Brown
• Jeffrey Bockness
• John Colvin
• John Jannuzzi
• Jolyne Booker
• Martha Langford
• Norman Diggs
• Richard Davin
• Robert Ponce
• Sara Lipchak
• Tanya Humphrey
• Thomas Brooks

The grand jury investigates citizen complaints about government agencies and conducts inquiries of its own.
Panelists are not salaried but do receive a small per diem payment to cover expenses and are compensated for travel. They rely on the county's presiding judge for legal assistance but are otherwise generally free to pursue whatever interests them.

In the past, juries have investigated complaints against the District Attorney's Office, the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Animal Services. In 2014, jurors uncovered numerous irregularities in how the Board of Supervisors managed discretionary funds allotted to each supervisor.

— By City News Service. Image via Shutterstock.