The Contra Costa County Superior Court is accepting applications for Civil Grand Jury Service for the fiscal year 2012-2013 term.

The Civil Grand Jury is made up of nineteen members who serve for one year, July through June, to monitor, review and report on city and county governments, special districts and school districts.  "Grand Juries are the citizen watchdogs of civic functions," says current Grand Jury Foreperson Lloyd Bell.  "All county citizens have the authority to call the juries' attention to issues within their governmental agencies that they think should be reviewed."

Every effort is made to ensure that the Grand Jury reflects the makeup of the residents of the county.  Approximately sixty applicants will be selected to be interviewed by the Grand Jury Selection Committee, which is composed of Superior Court Judges.  After interviews, the judges will nominate approximately thirty applicants to constitute a grand jury pool from which the final panel of nineteen will be selected by random drawing.

Individuals selected for service will be expected to be available during the last two weeks of June to meet with outgoing jurors, tour county facilities, meet with department heads, become familiar with their colleagues, learn about juror responsibilities and procedures, and select committees on which they will serve.

Grand jurors must be a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, who have been a resident of Contra Costa County for at least one year prior to selection.  They cannot currently hold any elected position within the county.  Applicants should have reliable transportation to Martinez, and must be prepared to devote at least twenty hours per week to Civil Grand Jury service.  Citizens who work should apply only if they can be released from their jobs to perform the jury duties.  Applicants selected as one of the thirty nominees will be fingerprinted before the drawing.

Jurors receive a stipend for attending full jury and committee meetings are are reimbursed for allowable jury travel.  Parking permits are provided to park in the City of Martinez while performing Grand Jury duties.

Persons interested in applying may contact the Office of the Civil Grand Jury at (925) 957-5638 or visit the website at www.cc-courts.org/grandjury to receive additional information regarding service on the Civil Grand Jury and to obtain an application.

The application deadline is Friday, April 13, 2012.