Grand Jury Quest: Diversity

The Orange County 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 the Orange County Superior Court, which oversees the grand jury.

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

Last year’s grand jury was one of the most diverse, with three Latinos, two Asian Americans, two Native Americans, one African American and 11 whites.

“Women comprise 30% of the prospective grand jurors,” said Superior Court Judge Frederick P. Horn, chairman of the grand jury’s recruitment and selection committee.

The court has tried to recruit more ethnic minorities to better reflect the county’s ethnic makeup, Apodoca said. Minorities account for more than 42% of the county’s 2.8 million residents, according to Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Demographic Research.

The grand jury investigates and reports mainly on the workings of public agencies. At the request of the district attorney, the panel also may review criminal cases and hand down indictments.

Grand jurors serve one-year terms that begin July 1.