By BARBARA GREEN

The overhaul of the Texas grand jury system has arrived in the 97th Judicial District as the “key-man” system is replaced by the random process used to impanel a traditional jury.

California now remains the only state is using the key-man system following passage earlier this year of Senate Bill 135 and House Bill 282 by the Texas Legislature.

Supporters of the bill say the state’s grand jury selection process inserts judges too deeply in the process making it prone to misuse.

It is hoped the new process can present a truly fair, impartial panel representative of the area demographics.

A grand jury is composed of 12 people who meet to weigh the merits of various criminal cases during a six-month period. It hands down indictments if it finds enough evidence exists to warrant a trial.

For more than a century Texas has used what is often called the “pick-a-pal” system, where a district judge appoint commissioners, who selects the members for the grand jury. Those commissioners would find 20 prospective grand jurors and then select the first 12 who qualify.

SB 135 and HB 282 were authored by Sen. John Whitmire and State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr., both Democrats from Houston, where there has been harsh criticism of the grand jury system. In Harris County, a police officer sat on six grand juries and served as a foreman on one that was investigating another police officer.

Read the full story, along with information on the qualifications for a grand jury in your weekend News.