SAN JOSE — South Bay residents interested in serving as public watchdogs with an eye on government efficiency, transparency and corruption are being sought to join the next Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury.

Applications for the 2025-2026 term of the civilian oversight and auditing body — consisting of 19 members managed by the county Superior Court — are due March 28.

The grand jury panel has wide latitude for the topics, entities and public officials they choose to examine, and extensive access to officials and records. Their purview largely involves governmental functions and use of public funds. While that might sound overly bureaucratic, the impact and reach of investigations by the civil grand jury over the years has been significant.

Its work has included intense scrutiny of the influence of the San Francisco 49ers football team on the city of Santa Clara, where its primary venue Levi’s Stadium is located. A 2022 report by the grand jury became the focus of a high-profile criminal investigation after it was leaked to the team before its official release, leading to the criminal conviction last year of former Santa Clara County City Councilmember Anthony Becker.

The city has become a regular focus for the grand jury, with another report released last year outlining alleged infighting and disarray over ethics practices, which came five years after the city was criticized over its public records and transparency policies.

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The grand jury is also directly responsible for the ouster of former sheriff Laurie Smith, after handing down corruption allegations regarding political favoritism in her office’s issuing of concealed-gun licenses and her resistance to civilian oversight. An ensuing civil grand jury trial pressured her into not seeking a seventh term and eventually concluded with her being formally removed from office in 2022.

Over the past few years, the grand jury has also investigated matters like lobbying transparency in the San Jose Unified School District, female firefighter hire and dropout rates, conservatorships, lagging 911 response times in San Jose, and Santa Clara’s handling of public-records access, affordable housing, and bond measure spending. Other previous reports have tackled police force used against mentally ill people, the pace of criminal cases going through the court system, and conditions in county jails and juvenile detention.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and resident of the county. Civil grand jurors typically work an average of 25 hours per week in the voluntary role. The next term begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2026.