The Civil Grand Jury of El Dorado County is looking for jurors for 2014-15.

Applicants must be citizens of the United States, at least 18 years old, residents of El Dorado County for at least one year at the time of the swearing-in date, and cannot hold an elected office.

The judges of El Dorado County Superior Court will select names from those submitted, as well as other nominees and currently seated grand jurors who want to continue, to be put into the jury pool. Nineteen jurors are then selected in a random drawing from this pool. Final selection takes place in late June and jurors serve for one year starting July 1.

The Grand Jury acts as an investigative body to ensure that county, special district and city government is being effectively run. It has no enforcement authority and can only make recommendations through a final report that is usually published at the end of June. Each complaint the jury accepts for investigation must be investigated thoroughly, seeking out and analyzing facts, which is a time consuming process that usually takes many months to complete.

While being a grand juror is not a full-time job, it does require substantial time. This includes attendance at meetings, investigating and preparing written reports. Jurors can typically expect to serve at least six to seven hours over two days per week. Investigative committee chairs and the foreperson can expect to serve 10 to 20 hours per week. While jurors can certainly take vacations during the session, periods of absence exceeding two weeks, especially during the second half of the session, should be held to a minimum.

Meetings are compensated at the maximum rate of $15 per day of meeting. Mileage is compensated at the rate payable to county employees. No other compensation is provided.

Applications can be filled out online or picked up from Suzanne M. Thurman, executive administrative assistant for the Superior Court at 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 110, Building C, in Placerville. People can also call 530-621-7414 and request an application by mail or email. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, May 2.

Original, completed applications must be submitted to the Superior Court care of Suzanne M. Thurman, Executive Administrative Assistant, 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 110, Placerville, CA 95667. For more information, visit http://www.edcgov.us/GrandJury/