Grand Jury Training Mock Trials Day 1

February 14, 2023

Preliminary Issues, Paperwork, Procedural Beginnings


Introduction

In preparing for doing mock trials, I have wrestled with where to begin this training.  I have decided to start from a beginning point of receiving a complaint and moving forward slowly with that.  By slowly, I mean, addressing any side issues that need to be addressed as we go.  Stopping to assess these needs and having volunteers step up to aid in this training and the establishment of our JA so when we are done, we will have a working model and enough JA Members available and trained, and requisite needs satisfied so we can begin hearing cases.

My initial thoughts on cases, as I have stated, will be addressing ASN on ASN claimantcomplaints.  After thinking about this, I still believe that is true, but, and this is a big BUT, the need for our people to seek remedy from US Citizen on ASN crime and the desperate need for remedy, has led me to the point of knowing this will be a majority of what we will be seeing and needing to hear.

So, as we get started, I will be desiring and needing you, as you can, to step up and help with the many tasks we need completed to get to our first case, whether it is ASN on ASN or US Citizen against ASN crimes.

This outline is still a work in progress, but you all will have what I have created and what we have talked about, not only through these recordings, but on paper as well.

Since I lost some hours today of work time, I will have to send you this document after we are completed today.   I will likely post it on our The Nevada Assembly MM channel, just so no one gets missed by emails I send out.  I will send out an email with the file attached afterward as well.

So let’s at least begin this training:

 Scenario 1
An ASN, Steven, contacted the Sheriff to report that his neighbor across the street had attacked his dog and caused harm to the dog.  The dog was treated at his veterinarian for a broken leg and cost Steven approximately $2,500 in treatment bills
He also claims that this dog was his for the junkyard he owns and operates and now his junkyard is without protection from theft that the dog had provided.
The report Steven gave to the Sheriff was that he was in his house watching the game when he hear this dog Tiny, bark loudly, then moan a long guttural moan.
He went out onto his porch and saw his neighbor beating his dog with what Steven said was a 2” x 4” board.  
He stated he ran across the street and pushed the man away from his dog who was lying in front of the man, picked up his dog, ran back across the street to his home, and called the Sheriff.
He is seeking remedy for the veterinary expenses, as well as the expense to hire someone to secure his junkyard performing as a security guard.  The dog will be incapacitated for at least 2 months.
The Sheriff took down Steven’s statement at Steven’s house.  He walked across the street to talk to the neighbor who was seen beating the dog, but the neighbor was not home or did not answer the door.  The Sheriff left his business card in the door with a handwritten note for the neighbor to call him as soon as possible.
This is not the whole story.  This is the complaint received by the Sheriff initially.
What do we do now?  What questions should /need to be asked?
 What was the dog doing across the street on the neighbor’s property?
 How did the dog get out of the house?
Did the neighbor who beat the dog feel threatened by the dog?
Was Steven’s neighbor injured by the dog?
 What is the neighbor’s side of the dog?
What breed is the dog? (Doberman). 
Was the dog in fact a guard dog?
Why wasn’t the neighbor home or didn’t answer the door?
Why was a guard dog in a family neighborhood in the first place?
Have there been any instances with the dog before?
We need to decide on what form(s) we will need to use or create for an ASN to fill out and submit, and to whom the form will be submitted.
Sheriff, since he/she likely will be first people called (Eric Hyer)
Doug agrees with Eric
Sue H. - Clerk should be involved in receiving
Michelle S. - Sheriff needs an incident report to take with them to the scene and sometimes the incident would not rise to the level of needing a Sheriff to come out.
Eric H. - Sheriff  should have a separate report for what he witnessed himself from the people involved.  Notes or affirmations from witnesses, etc.
Doug - report option from Fire Dept.
We also need to find/create the following forms:
Presentment forms for ASN/ASN claims (Jeanine offered help for both of these)
Indictment forms for US Citizen on ASN crimes
Need volunteers to research this and start putting together the information we will need for the forms, what the de facto may be using currently that we can alter to suit us, etc.

NOTES:  Other things to consider
1.  Use Ombuds up front - maybe get Ombuds involved in our training, at least reviewing
2.  Victims Advocates - help claimants get through some happenings that sidetrack life
3.  Confidentiality
4.  
5. 

