Nineteen local residents were appointed Wednesday as new members of the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury.
The Civil Grand Jury is a body made up of Santa Barbara County residents who volunteer to act as “watchdogs,” investigate local government and make recommendations for improvements.
The outgoing jury was recognized for its work in the past year during a discharge ceremony at 1108 Santa Barbara St. before Superior Court officials swore in the incoming group.
The 2025-26 Civil Grand Jury published nine reports, including investigations of overtime pay in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the county’s emergency preparedness.
“It is not an easy task, and I think we overachieved, and I am very pleased,” foreperson Stacy Mezzetta de Cossio said.
Last year, Superior Court Judge Patricia Kelly chose Mezzetta de Cossio as the foreperson to oversee the group. She presented Kelly with a copy of the Grand Jury report during the discharge ceremony.
Kelly described the reports as “well done” and “thorough,” having read all of them.
“(They are) so informative and educational that we’re already seeing responses from the groups,” she said. “You did a phenomenal job.”
After the group’s discharge, Court Executive Officer Angela Braun swore in the incoming group by asking each of them to raise their right hand and respond “I do” after listening to their oath.
Three members of the outgoing group will remain with the incoming members to provide “institutional memory.”
Braun said discharge and swearing-in ceremonies are always an exciting day.
“It’s wonderful to have people in the community who step up and do it,” she said.
One of the new members, Lompoc resident Andrea Ursillo, said she was excited to have found a volunteer position in which she could use skills from her career in financing affordable housing.
After the oath, Kelly presented the group with the charge to the Grand Jury, which outlined the group’s duties and a strict list of guidelines to which they must adhere.
“In the course of your duties, you will inspect other facilities in the county. These inspections will probably be among the most valuable learning experiences of your year of service,” Kelly said.
The group must maintain the secrecy of its investigations and discussions, an anomaly from other government agencies, because the Civil Grand Jury’s purpose includes investigating offenses and accusations involving local government officials, Kelly said.
Secrecy grants protection to “innocent persons from the publicity that might otherwise occur,” she added.
If a juror breaks the seal of secrecy, it is considered a misdemeanor.
The group will work with Kelly and submit their reports to her before publication.
The new group also can review reports from earlier grand juries, especially the recommendations that weren’t acted upon, but they have to do their own investigation before adopting them as their own recommendations, Kelly informed them.
Read the Grand Jury reports here.
Read Noozhawk coverage of the County Civil Grand Jury investigations here.
The incoming members are:
- James Edward Marino
- William Yeates
- Barbara Landon
- Stephan Karczag
- Stanley Roden
- Lisa Hoston
- Gwen Rigby (foreperson)
- Lindsey McDonald
- Jim Massung
- John Richards
- Selma Baker
- Daniel Crocker
- Warren Dennis
- Richard Chiles
- George Fink
- Andrea Ursillo
- Cole Lucas
- Jacqueline Kamlet
- Richard Edgehill
The outgoing members are:
- Joseph Guzzardi
- Sean McDermott
- Jacqueline Kamlet
- Eva Macias
- Steven Weiss
- Stacy Mezzetta de Cossio (foreperson)
- Stephen Pottenger
- Karen Feldpouch
- Mary O’Gorman
- Viviane Morris
- Jefforie Toogood
- Dan de Cossio
- Charles Firestone
- William Wasil
- Christian Ramirez
- Richard Edgehill
- Marcia Green
- Keith Staub
- Reynaldo Ybarra
