Judges Trim Grand Jury List of Applicants to 30

Ventura County Superior Court judges have whittled a list of 97 applicants for the 1993-94 grand jury to 30, eliminating a former county supervisor in the process.

In its final form, the grand jury will have 19 members who will be responsible for indicting criminal suspects and for acting as a government oversight body.

On July 1, the judges will draw the names of those who will sit on the grand jury for one year.

Those not selected will act as alternates.

Not included among the nominees was former County Supervisor Madge L. Schaefer, who reportedly applied for a spot on the grand jury in early May.

The former supervisor, who could not be reached for comment, lost her bid for reelection to Maria VanderKolk in 1990.

Jury services supervisor Sandi Hatmaker said the county was unable to create a panel that matched the demographics of the county.

Of the 30 potential jurors, there are three Latinos, one black, one Asian and one Native American.

In addition, Hatmaker said, many nominees were over the age of 65 and had an annual income $35,000 to $50,000.

The number of younger and lower-income applicants was low because grand jurors make only $20 a day and must be willing to work four to five days a week, she said.

The nominees are Ruth Austin, Mark Cagnacci, Frederick Mondragon and Richard Raymond, all of Ventura; David Austin, Jay Flashner and Robert White, all of Moorpark; Richard Cooper Sr., Diane Evans and Leonard Starlof, all of Simi Valley; LaVonne Fosse, Arlene Frasher, George Gopaul, Mary Ann Milliken, Marvin Petal and Marybeth Power, all of Oxnard; Robert Evans, Edith Everett, Leonard Figura, Michael Fishman and Bobby Salyer, all of Thousand Oaks; Ofelia De La Torre and Kevin Kelly of Santa Paula; Patricia Eichenhofer, Mary Lanning and William R. Seaver, all of Camarillo; Lloyd Fellows of Ojai; Donato Martinez of Port Hueneme; Sue Rivers of Oak View, and Sharon Wing of Newbury Park.