Criminal Grand Juries

• In a criminal case, the grand jury hears evidence brought by the district attorney to determine if there is enough evidence to link the accused person to the crime. Grand juries do not decide guilt or innocence; instead, they determine whether the prosecution has enough evidence to proceed with the case. In Los Angeles County, the grand jury typically does not hear "normal" felony cases; rather, they deal with cases that involve celebrities, public figures, or reluctant witnesses. This is because the secrecy of grand jury proceedings prevents pretrial publicity that could skew the outcome of the case.
  
  

Civil Grand Juries

• The civil grand jury is probably the type most people think of when they hear the words "grand jury." A civil grand jury serves as a watchdog group to monitor city and county government. The grand jury has the authority to investigate complaints of corruption or abuse of power among public officials and employees. In L.A. County, the grand jury is also required to investigate the conditions and management of all public prisons in the county.
  
  

Who Serves on a Grand Jury

• A grand jury, whether civil or criminal, is made up of 23 members plus alternates. Criminal grand jurors are selected randomly from the "regular" jury pool, while civil grand jurors are selected from a volunteer pool or are nominated by a judge. Any citizen over the age of 18 can be chosen, provided that he has a working knowledge of the English language and has lived in L.A. County for one year prior to being selected. If a selected juror has been convicted of a felony or official misconduct, or if he is currently serving as a trial juror, he will not be eligible for grand jury service. Elected public officials also cannot serve on a grand jury during their terms in office.
  
  

Responsibilities

• In L.A. County, the civil grand jury is sworn in each July for a 12-month period. They meet 30 to 40 hours, five days a week. Because of the time requirement, anyone nominated to serve must be prepared to take time off from her regular job or make other arrangements. Criminal grand jurors, on the other hand, are called up once a month, and their term of service is 30 days. Most grand jurors in criminal cases do not serve the full 30 days but are "on call" during that time. Any qualified person who is selected is required to serve, unless she has a valid medical excuse.