Minorities Make Up 20% of Grand Jury Pool

Orange County’s Grand Jury, long criticized for its lack of ethnic diversity, has a 30-member pool of prospective members that is 20% minority, a court spokeswoman said Monday.

The potential grand jurors include four Latinos, an Asian American and an African American. The remaining 24 candidates are white, said Margit Apodoca, a spokeswoman for Orange County Superior Court.

A drawing will be held Wednesday to select the 19 jurors and 11 alternates to serve on the next grand jury, she said.

The court has attempted to recruit more minorities to reflect their numbers in the county’s population, Apodoca said. Minorities account for more than 42% of the county’s 2.8 million people.