Orange County Residents Needed to Serve on the Grand Jury!

Santa Ana, CA – The Orange County Superior Court is looking for qualified volunteers to serve on the 2018-2019 Grand Jury. Assistant Presiding Judge Kirk Nakamura, chair of the Grand Jury Recruitment and Selection Committee, said, “I encourage Orange County residents to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to improve our community.” The 19-member Grand Jury will take the official oath of office on June 29, 2018 for a one year term.

The Grand Jury’s responsibilities include:

•   Ensuring that the performance of county, city, and other local agencies is proper and ethical;
•   Providing recommendations to government agencies for improvement;
•   Responding to citizen complaints about local government agencies;
•   Ensuring that our local tax dollars are wisely spent;
•   Evaluating conditions at our county’s jails; and
•   Issuing indictments for serious crimes.Grand jurors receive training and attend tours and briefings to increase their knowledge of the workings of county agencies to help them assess areas in need of improvement. Grand Jury reports from past civil investigations and responses from the appropriate agencies are posted online at www.ocgrandjury.org/reports.asp.To qualify to serve on the Grand Jury, you must be a resident of Orange County for at least a year, a United States citizen, at least 18 years old, in possession of sound judgment, and have sufficient knowledge of English. Interested citizens must apply by January 26, 2018. Grand jurors receive a $50 per day stipend, mileage reimbursement, and onsite parking.The Grand Jury selection process includes Superior Court judges reviewing applications and interviewing qualified applicants, and Orange County Sheriff’s Department officers conducting background investigations of qualified candidates. The final selection of the 19-member panel is achieved by a random drawing of 25 to 30 candidates who are nominated and confirmed by Superior Court judges to proportionally represent each of the five Supervisorial Districts in the County, as required by law. The first 19 names drawn will be grand jurors and the remaining names drawn will be alternates in the order selected. Alternates are trained and ready to serve in place of panelists who cannot complete the one year term for any reason.

  The application form and additional information are available on the Grand Jury website at www.ocgrandjury.org, by calling the Grand Jury Hotline at 657-622-6747, or in person at the Jury Commissioner’s Office, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, 92701.

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