Check this page frequently for any news regarding the GJAOC. For more pictures and information, see the GJAOC Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to check the Reports in the News web page for any stories in the local newspapers that mention previous Grand Jury reports.
OC Bar Association Seeks Volunteer Arbitrators
The Orange County Bar Association is currently seeking non-attorney volunteers to serve as arbitrators on the Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee. In this role, volunteers will serve as a non-attorney arbitrator on a three-person panel to help resolve fee disputes between clients and their attorneys as set forth in Business and Profession Codes. Volunteers are required to participate in at least one arbitration per year. Meetings are generally via Zoom. Volunteers must have the necessary qualifications to serve as a neutral non-attorney arbitrator. Volunteers cannot be an attorney, paralegal, legal assistant, law student, or have attended law school. Free training is provided to volunteers.
The OCBA is hosting a New Arbitrator Training on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the OCBA’s office in Newport Beach at 4101 Westerly Place, Newport Beach. The application flyer can be found here. We would be pleased to include any former grand jurors who may be interested in serving!
For more information, please contact Public Services Coordinator, Dana Mullin, at (949) 440–6700, ext. 110 or email at dmullin@ocbar.org.
March 2026 Luncheon
The Spring Luncheon was held at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club, on March 5, 2026, with 44 people attending.
Presentation
Orangewood Foundation Michelle Estrada, Community Engagement Manager, and Tami Di Paolo, Program Director of Support Services, from the Orangewood Foundation spoke to the group. The Orangewood Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides innovative services to empower and uplift young people who face challenges across Orange County stemming from foster care, homelessness and trafficking backgrounds. The foundation is working towards a future where every young person thrives. You can review their presentation here. For more information, visit their website at orangewoodfoundation.org.
December 2025 Luncheon
The Winter Luncheon was held at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club, on December 4, 2025.
General Meeting
New Board Directors Sworn in The 2026 GJAOC Board of Directors were sworn in by Presiding Judge Maria D. Hernandez. Six of the eleven Directors will begin their 2 year terms starting in January. Returning Directors Lynn Bonas, Terri Elders, Chris Evans and Greg Tettemer will begin their second term while Lynette Fujitani and Chris Pounds will begin their first term. They join Directors Ken Blake, Lynn Fenton, Doug Gillen, Karen Kindschi and Lisa Winter who will begin the second year of their terms.
Presentation
Assistant United States Attorney Mark Takla Unfortunately, Judge David O. Carter, who usually speaks to us at the December Luncheon, had to cancel about ten days before the event. Mark Takla, Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California, agreed to speak to us at the luncheon. He described the investigation, detailed forensics and prosecution of Stephan Beal who was found guilty of setting off a bomb that killed his ex-girlfriend, Idilko Krajnyak, owner of a day spa, and injured two others in Aliso Viejo in May, 2018. You may remember this story. His presentation was extremely fascinating.
A Dateline NBC episode entitled “Death at the Spa” describes the issue in detail. See further information at Dateline NBC Episode, although the actual episode may no longer be available.
Civil Grand Jurors Conference held October 26 & 27, 2025
The Civil Grand Jurors’ Association (CGJA) of California is composed of current and former grand jurors from throughout the state. It is dedicated to promoting the understanding of the unique practices of grand juries in California and to educating the public and prospective grand jurors about the beneficial oversight function of the system. This dedication is embodied in the mission statement- To promote, preserve, and support the grand jury system through training, education, and outreach. The annual conference was held in San Luis Obispo on October 26 & 27. GJAOC members Greg Tettemer (Board 2nd VP), Joyce Keller (CGJA Trainer) and John Woodward attended to represent our organization. We should also note here that member Chris Pounds is also a CGJA Trainer, although he could not attend the Convention this year. The Keynote Speaker was Dr. Foaad Khosmood, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo professor, who spoke on understanding artificial Intelligence. Among the many topics discussed during the two day forum was how each county grand jurors’ association can better interface with the public and how the associations serve the county grand juries. Read Greg’s summary of the Conference here. You can download the Keynote Address and other materials presented at the conference on their website page (near the bottom) at https://cgja.org/our-annual-conference/. See the GGJA website at https://cgja.org/ for more information about the organization.
September 2025 Luncheon
The Fall Luncheon was held at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club, on September 11, 2025.
General Meeting
Election of Board Directors The terms of 6 Board Directors are up at the end of the year. Board Directors Lynn Bonas, Terri Elders, Chris Evans, Lynette Fujitani and Greg Tettemer were elected to 2nd terms. John Moohr is retiring from the Board and Chris Pounds was elected to replace him in the 6th position. Since there were only 6 applicants for the 6 positions, the election was held by voice vote per the by-laws. Rick Barker moved to approve the slate, the motion was seconded by Gene Siegel, and it was approved by consensus. There is still an opening for one of the 5 off-year Directors. Anyone interested in serving at whatever capacity they can, email the Membership Chair.
2025-2026 Grand Jury Several members of the 2025-2026 Grand Jury attended. They are shown in the photo below.
Recognition and Presentation
Orange County Aging Services Collaborative This year the GJAOC recognized and honored the Orange County Aging Services Collaborative. Representatives Jocelyn Rubio-Melendrez and Patty Mouton were present and Jocelyn spoke about the organization. Jocelyn’s presentation can be found here.
2025-2026 Grand Jury Sworn In July 1, 2025
The 2025-2026 Grand Jury members were sworn in July 1st in Department C5.
2024-2025 Grand Jury Completes their Session June 30, 2025
The 2024-2025 Grand Jury has completed their session and has presented their their Final Report to the Court. It contains seven investigative reports. View them on the Reports page.
June 2025 Luncheon
The Summer Luncheon was held at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club, on June 5, 2025. Assistant Presiding Judge Sheila Hanson spoke to the GJAOC about the Orange County Courts. She provided extensive details on the Court’s mission, staffing, budgets, successes and challenges. See https://www.occourts.org/ for more information.
Norma Mendoza provided a brief summary of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). CASA volunteers are trained community members who advocate for children in foster care, working with child protective services and the juvenile justice system to ensure the children’s safety and find suitable permanent homes. They provide a voice and a meaningful connection for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. See https://www.casaoc.org/ for more information.
March 2025 Luncheon
Bob Page, Orange County Registrar of Voters, spoke to the GJAOC at the quarterly luncheon. He provided a detailed overview of operations. His presentation can be found here. Just a reminder that the 2024-2025 Grand Jury produced a report on their review of the organization and activities during the 2024 Presidential election. Read the full report here.
Bill Underwood, GJAOC representative for the OC Go effort also briefly spoke to the group. The effort to select new members of the oversight committee is currently underway. More information will be coming soon, posted on the OC Go page and presented in an upcoming Newsletter.
GJAOC Board Elects New Officers January 9, 2025
During the first meeting of 2025, the GJAOC Board of Directors selected new officers and committee chairs. See the Contact page for the current list of Board Directors, officers and committee chairs. For more information on the meeting, you can download the agenda and/or minutes from the Agenda and Minutes page.
2024-25 Panel Releases 1st Report January 7, 2025
The 2024-25 Grand Jury panel has released its first report of the session. They thoroughly reviewed all aspects of the Orange County Registrar of Voters operations and found the organization “adheres to the highest standards of integrity”. Read the full report here.