Merced County grand jury looking for applicants

The Merced Superior Court is seeking applicants for the 2015-16 Merced County grand jury.

The deadline to submit an application to serve on the grand jury is May 1, according to a news release from Linda Romero Soles, the court’s chief executive officer.

“The grand jury investigates citizen complaints and performs its traditional function as a ‘watchdog’ over government agencies. It does not conduct criminal investigations,” Romero Soles said.

“The primary function of the grand jury is to act as an ombudsman by investigating and issuing reports about local government agencies that include county and city government, special districts and school districts,” she said.

Qualified candidates will be interviewed by Judge Mark V. Bacciarini of the Merced Superior Court and Romero Soles.

“From those interviewed, Judge Bacciarini will make the decision on the final 30 names. From the 30 names, the 19-member panel civil grand jury and four alternates will be selected by a random selection process,” Romero Soles said.

Civil grand jurors must meet the same qualifications as trial jurors. The term of the office runs from July 1 to June 30, 2016. Grand jurors must be available at least 20 hours per month.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old, have sufficient knowledge of the English language, and must have lived in the county for one year prior to selection.

Qualified residents interested in serving can contact the court at (209) 725-4172 or go to www.mercedcourt.org to download the application.

This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Merced County grand jury looking for applicants."