Grand Jury Asks Wallace For Apology
Members of the Tuolumne County 2001-2002 Grand Jury are calling for a public apology from County Administrator C. Brent Wallace, for what the Grand Jury calls “slanderous, public printed remarks.”
Grand Jury member Sandra Asquith of Twain Harte spoke to the Supervisors representing the 13-jury members also in attendance Tuesday in the board chambers.
She said while the Grand Jury respects Wallace’s right to make a statement, as a group, the Grand Jury finds the county administrative officer’s first response in the form of a public, printed letter in the Sonora Union Democrat to be, “Disrespectful in its attitude towards the Grand Jury and unbecoming of a senior servant.”
Jury member Henrik Petersen, who chaired the committee that looked into Tuolumne General Hospital, says as a group, the grand jury needed to make their views known.
“We felt we needed to show our faces in front of the Board of Supervisors so that they could see that we were not dishonest and whatever else (Wallace) has characterized us as,” Petersen said this morning.
The grand jury also stated that if Wallace cannot respond to public criticism in a more professional manner, he “Does not belong in public service.”
Wallace made no public comment regarding the Grand Jury’s presentation to the board Tuesday.
