A Better Mix on the Grand Jury

The new 19-member 1985-86 Orange County Grand Jury was chosen by lot Tuesday, and the most encouraging aspect of the result is that efforts to enlist younger and more representative grand jury panels seem to be paying off.

Past panels historically have not been really representative of the community. They have mostly been made up of older, affluent and retired people. That has resulted in justified criticism, even from past juries, because the jury-selection process just wasn’t producing enough young people and minority members.

To their credit, Superior Court judges, who make the nominations, and court administrators have made determined efforts to change that. The new jury, which will begin its one-year term July 1, has better balance. Two years ago the grand jury had only three members under age 55. The outgoing panel has seven. The new Grand Jury has 12.

On the current panel, 14 of the 19 members listed themselves as retired. Only four members of the new panel carry that designation.

Service on the county Grand Jury has become almost a full-time job. That factor keeps many people from serving. But judges are more aggressively seeking the healthier cross section of the community that can give the panel the mix that it should have, more individuals are volunteering and some firms are beginning to allow employees the time for such public service. Company executives have found that, in addition to benefiting the community, this kind of public service also makes an employee a more valuable member of a firm.

The jury still lacks adequate minority representation, with only one black member and one who lists herself as part American Indian. More effort must be made to change the composition to obtain a better cross section of the county. Other minority candidates were nominated, but weren’t drawn in the final selection lottery.

But the new Grand Jury with its younger members, more of them part of daily working life, is a welcome shift toward the variety of experience and makeup that the grand jury should have.