A Grand Time in Orange County

2018-2019 Grand Jury

We take for granted that some things are grand...it's an intrinsic part of their being. We've got the Grand Canyon, grand pianos, grandparents, grand slams both baseball and breakfast, Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel, grand tours, even the Grand Old Opry. And then there's Grand Juries.

When I applied to serve on the Orange County Grand Jury a year and a half ago, I realized I'd have to change my life if I made it. It's a full year, 25-hours-five-day-a-week commitment. Well, I did and I didn't make it. I made it through all the background investigations to the top 30, and then came the Final Draw.

This quaint tradition, not quite so grand, reminded me of the tombolas I'd participated in when I lived in Belize. After all 30 finalist names are placed in a wooden drum, it's rolled. The first 19 persons whose names are drawn will be sworn in as the new Grand Jury. The remaining 11 will be alternates, subject to being called if any of the original 19 cannot serve the complete term.

The morning of the drawing I'd mixed feelings. My fella and I had made reservations for a Road

Scholar autumn trip along the St. Lawrence, taking in Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara s, Falls. He'd also been offered the opportunity to perform rabbinical services for High Holy Days aboard a cruise from New Jersey up the Eastern seaboard into several Canadian provinces I'd never explored. We'd tentatively talked about linking the two with a week's drive around upstate New York.

So though I wanted the adventure of serving on the Grand Jury,  I also craved a five-week excursion with my guy. I couldn't choose...but decided I'd rather be in the first 19 or so far along in the
remaining 11 that I didn't have to worry about suddenly being called upon to change plans.

I turned out to be #21. We decided to take our chances with the planned vacation. This turned out to be a wise decision. By early December I learned from Alternate Juror #20 that she hadn't been called and nobody had left. I started to think about possible spring trips.

Then right after New Year's Day I got a phone call. Would I be willing to come in and serve so late in the year? Yes, I said, yes.

What did I gain? An in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of many county departments. New acquaintances and links with people from all over the county, many from areas I barely am familiar with, both geographically and professionally. Memories of pleasant lunches at many restaurants in

and around the Santa Ana Superior Court, where we met daily. An awakened respect for how much time a job consumes of one's day. Not just the driving to and from, but the evening preparations for the next day's routine. Five unnecessary pounds from sitting behind a computer several hours each weekday.

What did I lose? The ability to keep up with my blog, with my regular submissions to publications, with my aerobics/yoga/strength classes that help me maintain my mobility. The time to organize drawers, closets, stacks of books and magazines. The time to simply sit down with a book and read it from beginning to end.

Now it's over, and I am glad I served. I'm also glad I participated in producing the seven final reports of the 2018-2019 Orange County Grand Jury. They are here:

• Home at Last: Honoring Our Veterans with a Veterans Cemetery in Orange County 06/25/19
  
• Orange County’s Urban Forest 06/20/19
• Emergency Public Information – Should I Stay or Should I Go? 06/19/19
• If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It 06/18/19
• "The Silent Killer” Hypertension in Orange County’s Intake and Release Center 06/04/19
• Your Call May Be Recorded 05/31/19
• Re-Opening Irvine Lake–A Win-Win for Taxpayers and Outdoor Enthusiasts 05/13/19
  
  • Irvine Company 05/15/19

 Now the application period for the 2020-2021 Grand Jury already has begun. If you live in this area, consider serving or calling attention to friends who might be eligible and willing. Here's where you can find more information.
http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/20-21_GJ_Recruitment_Flyer_EarlyR.pdf

Go ahead...apply! And I'll toast you with a tipple of...oh, how about Grand Marnier?