County still taking applicants for 2020-21 civil grand jury

April 1 deadline has been set for prospective watchdog jurors for term that begins June 18

Santa Clara County residents interested in serving on the 2020-21 civil grand jury, a courtbacked civic watchdog group tasked with investigating and auditing a multitude of government functions, still have more than a month to apply for the position.

A call for prospective jurors went out at the beginning of the year and will be accepted by the county Superior Court until April 1. Information and applications can be found online at scscourt.org under the “Civil Grand Jury” heading.

The next jury, which will serve a one-year term beginning June18, has a wide purview on subjects it examines, encompassing county and city government agencies and services ranging from school districts to jails.

Last year, the civil grand jury’s six investigative reports offered study and criticism on issues including the management of the Valley Transportation Authority and the county fairgrounds, lagging 911 response times in San Jose and scrutinized Santa Clara’s handling of access to public records.

“The civil grand jury plays an important watchdog function for Santa Clara County. It is vitally important that we have a diverse group of people with different experiences, skills and abilities who are willing to assume the important task of serving on the grand jury,” Presiding Judge Deborah A. Ryan said in a statement.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and resident of the county. The court notes members work an average of 25 hours per week in the voluntary role.

Additional questions can be emailed to Cgj@scscourt.org or by contacting Britney Huelbig, deputy manager for the civil grand jury, at 408-882-2721.

Contact Robert Salonga at 408920-5002.