February is Grand Jury month, as evidenced by today’s proclamation by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. The role of the civil grand jury is to investigate the operations of all county agencies, special districts, schools, and other entities that receive public money. Issues examined are chosen by the jurors based on citizen-initiated complaints and on the will of the jurors.
Chair Scofield recognized the work done by the current and prior Grand Juries, and the commitment by jury members for a full year (at least.) Being the watchdog authority and investigating as a public service to the community, providing reports to the agencies examined by the Grand Jury and always recruiting new members are a few of the tasks these civic-minded volunteers accomplish during their tenure.
New members wanted, apply now
The Awareness Proclamation serves as a kick off for new recruitment efforts of the Grand Jury. The legal requirements to be a member of the Grand Jury are simple:
- Be a citizen of the United States and 18 years or older;
- Be a resident of the State and of the County for one year immediately before being selected;
- Be in possession of his or her natural faculties of ordinary intelligence, of sound judgment, and of fair character;
- Possess sufficient knowledge of the English language.
Being open-minded, interested in public service to the community and keeping information confidential are desirable qualities in a Grand Jury member. If this appeals to you, fill out an application today.
To learn more about the Nevada County Grand Jury, check out their website. All Grand Jury reports are available on the Superior Court’s website.
The current Grand Jury is also reaching out through a lecture series at OLLI at the Sierra College Campus. “Civil Grand Jury Democracy Watchdog” is the title of the course.