Sacramento courts seek volunteers for county grand jury to monitor public agencies

Sacramento court officials are looking for applicants to serve on the county’s grand jury for a year, a volunteer post that entails monitoring the activities and spending of public agencies, touring county jail facilities and investigating citizen complaints.

The grand jury investigates a wide range of government entities - school districts, flood control entities and county agencies - and issues reports that include recommendations for improving use of taxpayer funds and the performance of public agencies.

The current grand jury has issued reports on COVID-19 mandates in schools and on safety concerns at an area water district, and in the past has investigated serious lapses at the county’s child protective services agency as well as a scandal at the region’s library system.

The panel also has authority to hear criminal indictments.

The grand jury is composed of 19 volunteers who serve a term that runs from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, and agree to invest 20 to 30 hours a week.

Applicants must be at least 18, U.S. citizens and residents of the county for at least a year. The deadline to apply for next year’s grand jury is Jan. 28, and additional information on requirements and how to apply are available at www.sacgrandjury.org.

This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 9:57 AM.