Diversity Drive Brings in 40% Nonwhite Grand Jury

The Orange County grand jury, which has been sharply criticized for its lack of ethnic diversity, will have a membership in the next fiscal year that is more than 40% nonwhite, the greatest percentage in recent years, if not ever.

Orange County Superior Court officials had launched an aggressive recruitment campaign that widened the pool of potential minority candidates. Twenty percent of the 172 people who applied were members of minorities, most of them Latino. The new jury was selected in a random drawing on Friday.

“Obviously, it’s a positive change,” said Jess Araujo, a Santa Ana attorney and community activist. “Any time you can get minorities represented in a diverse community, we’re a lot better off.”

In Los Angeles County, by comparison, fewer than 6% of those in the pool of prospective 2000-01 grand jurors had Spanish surnames, a Times review showed. Two lawsuits over the exclusion of minorities are before the courts.

Los Angeles County’s presiding judge said this month that he will create a second panel drawn from a more ethnically diverse pool. Members of the new panel will serve a maximum of 10 days and focus on sensitive criminal matters.

Orange County’s panel, once focused on criminal indictments, now serves as a county government watchdog, reviewing various agencies and issuing sometimes scathing reports that recommend changes.

The incoming 19-member grand jury will consist of 11 whites, three Latinos, two Native Americans, two Asians, and one black juror. Five of the jurors are women, and the average age of the panel members is 64 years old. The jury will serve a one-year term, starting in July.

Orange County’s population is nearly 30% Latino and 13% Asian. As part of the minority recruitment campaign, court officials sent applications and information packets to more than 1,000 companies and community groups.

In addition, judges visited community organizations and council meetings in every city in the county. They also went on Vietnamese radio programs and the Orange County cable TV news channel.