Grand Jury Diversity Elusive Again

The problem with success is duplicating it.

After impaneling the most diverse grand jury in Orange County history last year, court officials say a dearth of minority applicants is hurting prospects for this year.

With the Jan. 31 application deadline approaching, court officials said they have received only four submissions from minority candidates as of this week. By comparison, they had 14 such applications by the same time last year.

“It’s an annual challenge,” said Margit Apodaca, a coordination unit manager for the Orange County Superior Court.

After years of criticism that the grand jury lacked minority representation, a committee of judges who screen candidates for the watchdog panel stepped up recruitment efforts last year. Those efforts paid off, and they selected three Latinos, two Asian Americans, two Native Americans, one African American and 11 whites out of a pool of 173 candidates.

So far, only one Asian American, one Latino and two Native Americans have applied for this year, despite fliers being distributed to nearly 1,000 local companies and 124 minority organizations, officials said.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens and fluent in English. Apodaca said that might be a challenge for immigrants. However, for the language requirement, “some people may underestimate their abilities,” she said.

Grand jurors are paid $25 a day plus transportation costs; they serve for one year. Those interested in applying may call (714) 834-6747 for more information or visit the Orange County Superior Court Web site at https://www.oc.ca.gov/superior.