Imperial County Qualified applicants encouraged to apply to serve on Civil Grand Jury

By SILVIO J. PANTA

Imperial Valley Press

12:34 AM PST, March 8, 2011

Applications are being accepted for those wanting to serve on the upcoming 2011-2012 Imperial County Civil Grand Jury, Jury Commissioner Kristine Kussman announced.

The 19-member body would serve from July 1 through June 30, 2012, and be made up of committees who regularly meet on average of three hours per month.

The meetings are scheduled on a bi-weekly basis in the evenings and the stipend is $15 per day plus mileage.

The Jury Department must receive complete applications by April 15. Superior Court judges will be reviewing qualified candidates for the random drawing scheduled for June 22 at 4 p.m.

Applications can be downloaded from the Imperial County Superior Court’s Web site at www.imperial.courts.ca.gov or requested by telephone at 760-482-2256. The applications can also be picked up in person at the Court’s Jury Commissioner’s Office located at the Jury Commissioner’s Office at the courthouses in El Centro, Calexico, Brawley or Winterhaven.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age with a solid knowledge of English. The candidates also have lived in the U.S. since July 1, 2010 and pass a criminal background check.

The county’s Civil Grand Jury is impaneled to act as a component of the court, as authorized by the State Constitution, “to be a voice of the people and conscience of the community,” Kussman said.

Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com