The Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury is beginning its selection process for its 2013 to 2014 session.

The primary function of the Civil Grand Jury is to provide objective and unbiased oversight of government and to investigate complaints from citizens about the operations of county and city government, school districts, and special districts.

The selection of the Civil Grand Jury is a process directed by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, The Honorable Loretta Murphy Begen, and involves names which have been randomly selected from the master jury pool and names which have been submitted by community leaders.

Oakdale Mayor Pat Paul has been contacted by the judge and is currently soliciting interested citizens.

Those interested in serving may also submit an application to the court.

Every person who submits that he or she wants to serve is afforded an interview with the judge. Those selected must be willing to commit 20 hours or more a month and have good communication skills.

The selection process for the Civil Grand Jury begins in March of every year. If you are interested in serving on the grand jury, you may call 209-558-7766 for an application or contact Mayor Paul for recommendation.