Related Questions
Yes. But since nearly all meetings, interviews and site inspections take place during regular working hours, a grand juror with a full-time job would need to modify his or her work schedule in order to fully participate in Grand Jury activities.
Yes. It is expected that every grand juror will take time off for routine vacations, medical care, family events, and the like. However, applicants should be mindful that an individual juror's extended absence can place a real burden on the other grand jurors.
Yes. A juror receives $15 for each day he or she attends a meeting of the full Grand Jury and/or one or more committee meetings, site inspections or interviews. In addition, a juror is entitled to mileage for taking part in these activities at the current rate paid to Shasta County employees.
You are not required to own a computer to be a grand juror. However, computers are used by the jurors for confidentially communicating among themselves, compiling information gathered during investigations, and writing and editing reports. You can come to the grand jury office and use the jury’s computers, but having your own secure and ready access to a computer is highly recommended.
The frequency of meetings of the full Grand Jury and its committees is determined by each Grand Jury. During the past several years, full jury meetings have been held every other week. Committees usually meet weekly at times convenient for their members. Toward the end of the term meetings are often more frequent while reports are being completed. Most meetings are held on weekdays.
Although it varies during the term, you can expect to work an average of 15-25 hours per week, depending on the number of investigations the Grand Jury decides to conduct and which committees you join.
Having to miss either program will not disqualify you from Grand Jury service. You will be provided a training and resource manual and other materials that describe your duties, and the other jurors will help you get up to speed. However, the rules which govern Grand Jury service are complex, so jurors should make every effort to attend both of these programs.
The grand jurors participate in an orientation program that begins immediately after they are sworn in and continues on two later days. They learn how the grand jury works in Shasta County and hear presentations by local officials, including the jury’s legal advisors. They also attend a two-day seminar presented by the Civil Grand Jurors’ Association that teaches them grand jury law and procedure, focusing on conducting investigations and preparing reports.
Most meetings are held in the Grand Jury's office in central Redding. However, some of the work of the Grand Jury is conducted elsewhere. For instance, jurors conduct site inspections of government facilities throughout the county and often interview government officials at the officials' workplaces.