SB 1168 Summary

• Authorizes the presiding judge of Los Angeles Superior Court to impanel one additional grand jury upon request of a city attorney from any city with population exceeding 3,000,000 people, effective until January 1, 2014.

• Limits the additional grand jury's jurisdiction to misdemeanor offenses involving environmental, consumer protection, workplace safety, labor, fraud, hate crimes, and discrimination violations, with no authority to return indictments.

• Grants the prosecuting city attorney authority to direct the additional grand jury, present matters to it, issue subpoenas, and supervise investigations, except the city attorney cannot prepare indictments.

• Requires the prosecuting city attorney to reimburse the county and court for all costs directly related to impanelment and activities of the additional grand jury from the city attorney's own budget.

• Allows the prosecuting city attorney to require interpreter services at the grand jury's expense, charged to the city rather than the county, and to sign and issue subpoenas for witnesses in support of prosecution.