New Deadline for Orange County Grand Jury Applications

by Tracy Wood, Voice of OC -

Orange County’s Superior Court, facing an unusual shortage of applicants to serve on the 2013-2014 grand jury, has extended the application deadline to Friday.

“We are far behind the number of applicants we normally receive by this time of the year,” said Glenda Sanders, assistant presiding judge of the Superior Court and chairwoman of the Grand Jury Recruitment-Selection Committee.

The deadline for applications was supposed to be Jan. 18. The 19 grand jurors ultimately chosen will serve from July 1 through June 30, 2014. They will be paid $50 per day to a maximum $250 a week, plus mileage.

Grand juries are the civil oversight of local government bodies, and their work includes evaluating the operations of government departments, schools, jails and special districts. In criminal cases, they can consider evidence for possible indictments, and they also review complaints about government operations filed by citizens.

To obtain an application or more information, visit the grand jury web site or call the grand jury office at 714-834-6747. Applications may also be obtained at the jury commissioner’s office, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana.