BILL NUMBER: SB 796	CHAPTERED  07/17/07

	CHAPTER  82
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 17, 2007
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  JULY 17, 2007
	PASSED THE SENATE  MAY 7, 2007
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  JUNE 28, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Runner

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2007

   An act to add Section 904.8 to the Penal Code, relating to grand
juries.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 796, Runner. Additional grand juries.
   Existing law authorizes the presiding judge in any county or city
and county, or the judge appointed by the presiding judge to
supervise the grand jury, to impanel an additional grand jury upon
the request of the Attorney General or the district attorney or upon
his or her own motion.
   This bill would authorize the Presiding Judge of the Superior
Court of the County of Los Angeles, or the judge appointed by the
presiding judge to supervise the grand jury, to instead impanel up to
2 additional grand juries, in accordance with specified procedures.



THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 904.8 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
   904.8.  (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 904.6 or
any other provision, in the County of Los Angeles, the presiding
judge of the superior court, or the judge appointed by the presiding
judge to supervise the grand jury, may, upon the request of the
Attorney General or the district attorney or upon his or her own
motion, order and direct the impanelment of up to two additional
grand juries pursuant to this section.
   (b) The presiding judge or the judge appointed by the presiding
judge to supervise the grand jury shall select persons, at random,
from the list of trial jurors in civil and criminal cases and shall
examine them to determine if they are competent to serve as grand
jurors. When a sufficient number of competent persons have been
selected, they shall constitute an additional grand jury.
   (c) Any additional grand juries that are impaneled pursuant to
this section may serve for a period of one year from the date of
impanelment, but may be discharged at any time within the one-year
period by order of the presiding judge or the judge appointed by the
presiding judge to supervise the grand jury. In no event shall more
than two additional grand juries be impaneled pursuant to this
section at the same time.
   (d) Whenever additional grand juries are impaneled pursuant to
this section, they may inquire into any matters that are subject to
grand jury inquiry and shall have the sole and exclusive jurisdiction
to return indictments, except for any matters that the regular grand
jury is inquiring into at the time of its impanelment.
   (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in the County of Los
Angeles, all persons qualified for jury service shall have an equal
opportunity to be considered for service as criminal grand jurors
within the county, and that they have an obligation to serve, when
summoned for that purpose. All persons selected for an additional
criminal grand jury shall be selected at random from a source or
sources reasonably representative of a cross section of the
population that is eligible for jury service in the county.