Welcome to Only in Santa Clara County’s special series on the Civil Grand Jury and its role in our judicial branch and democracy at large. In this episode we are joined by the Honorable Judge Emede for an introduction into what the Civil Grand Jury is and its place within our government.
The Civil Grand Jury consists of 19 citizens who are volunteering from all over Santa Clara County for 1 year term of public service. As a member of the panel, they play a vital role in holding local government accountable, ensuring that public institutions operate fairly, transparently, and in the best interests of the people they serve. To learn more you can visit https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/CGJ, call 408-882-2721 or email [email protected]
**The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is recruiting qualified applicants for the 2026-2027 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury. Applications are due March 27, 2026, by 5 p.m., for the one-year term commencing July 1, 2026.
Guest Bio: Honorable Judge Emede assumed the role of Presiding Judge, on January 1, 2025. Appointed to the Santa Clara County Superior Court bench in December 2009, Judge Emede previously served in the Civil Division, the Criminal Domestic Violence Court, Provisional Remedies and Appellate Division, Probate Court, Family Court, and Misdemeanor Court. Judge Emede is a presenter at various judicial and continuing legal education seminars, and previously taught Community Property and Family Law at Santa Clara University School of Law.
About Only in Santa Clara County (OSCC) is a civic education podcast aimed at demystifying and democratizing the process of local government and civic participation in Santa Clara County--ground zero of system change. OSCC is powered by Dreaming Collaborative, a civic non-profit working at the intersection of culture, technology, and civic life to reimagine the practice of democracy in local government. Visit www.dreamingcollaborative.org to learn more about our work.
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Resources:
- Civil Grand Jury Website: https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/CGJ
- Apply to the Civil Grand Jury: https://forms.office.com/g/Qv19z2Ny4g
- Past Civil Grand Jury Reports: https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/CGJ#GrandJuryReports
- Who can the Civil Grand Jury investigate in Santa Clara County: (a) All County of Santa Clara Government Operations (b) All Law Enforcement Agencies in Santa Clara County (c) All School Districts: https://vote.santaclaracounty.gov/school-districts (d) All 15 cities in Santa Clara County: https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/cities-information (e) All 26 Special District in Santa Clara County: https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles
- Submit a Confidential Complaint to the Civil Grand Jury: https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/civil-grand-jury/civil-grand-jury-complaint-form
- Civil Grand Jury YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmNaolXvmnQ4FfFSjL1dARlsLiKQ-LLsd
- Civil Grand Jury Instagram @scccivilgrandjury
Music: Spunker by Blue Dot Sessions (https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/271482) Creative Commons License Attribution - Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
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