Logo courtesy of Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Applicants are now being sought for new jurors to serve on the independent watchdog Sacramento County Grand Jury.

The application period opened Nov. 21 and closes Jan. 2.

Nineteen Sacramento County residents and 11 alternates will be selected from among qualified applicants. The one-year term for volunteer jurors runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

The Sacramento County Grand Jury is appointed to provide oversight of Sacramento County, its cities, public schools, including community colleges, and special district agencies and operations.

The grand jury has a different function from that of a jury. Unlike cases presented in a courtroom, grand jurors review and investigate the performance of county, city and local governing entities, recommending changes for improving local government.

The grand jury is authorized to hear criminal indictments and is tasked with visiting regional detention facilities, along with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Crime Lab and the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

The grand jury also investigates complaints submitted by the public and issues reports of its findings. Past grand jury reports and government responses can be found online at sacgrandjury.org/reports.aspx.

To serve on the Sacramento County Grand Jury, you must be a U.S. citizen 18 years old or older, a Sacramento County resident for at least one year, and available to serve 25 to 35 hours a week. Applicants must also be able to speak, read and write the English language.

In addition, grand jury members can not have been convicted of a malfeasance in office, a felony or any other high crime; are not elected public officers; and have not served as grand jurors within the last year.

The deadline to apply to be on the grand jury is Jan. 2. The 2026-27 Sacramento County Grand Jury will be empaneled next June. Grand jurors receive a small stipend for their volunteer work.

For more information about the Sacramento County Grand Jury, applicant criteria and how to apply, visit online https://bit.ly/SCGrandJury2627. Or call 916-874-7828 or go online to saccourt.ca.gov for more information.