Service Call

Grand Jury seeks members for 2025-26

By Howard Schmidt
November 2024

Having spent the past year on the Sacramento County Grand Jury, I can confirm Superior Court Judge Steven Gevercer is right when he says the grand jury exists “to make government accountable.”

Being a juror carries the responsibility to investigate local government. The aim is to improve efficiency and effectiveness, and promote accountability and transparency.

Interested in becoming a grand juror? Online applications open Nov. 20 and run through December. There’s a formal interview process, which I’ll discuss in a minute.

Unlike cases presented in a courtroom, grand jurors review and investigate the performance of county, city and local governing entities. The jury issues reports and recommends changes to improve local government.

Recent grand jury reports focused on the failure to provide adequate special education by a local school district, mismanagement and dysfunction on a local special district board, and privacy violations by law enforcement.

Workloads can range up to 35 hours per week. Jurors receive a stipend plus mileage reimbursement. Each member serves on three committees ranging from health and human services to education, criminal justice, administration and environmental protection.

Investigations can be opened by the jury or suggested by citizens. The jury can respond to complaints of alleged mistreatment by officials and suspicion of misconduct.

“The opportunity to help our local government serve the people in a more effective way doesn’t come around that often,” Foreperson Beth Tenpas says. “If you care about education, mental health services, water quality, election integrity, etc., grand jury service might be for you.”

As for the selection process, the new jury will have 19 members who start in July 2025. New members are selected from online applicants by random draw. Another 11 are chosen as alternates.

Current or former jurors interview each potential juror. From there, the pool is narrowed and vetted by a judicial panel.

The work is demanding and challenging. But serving your community as a grand juror is something you’ll never forget.
To apply or review grand jury reports, visit sacgrandjury.org.

Howard Schmidt served on the 2023-24 Sacramento Grand Jury. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.