The 12 people appointed to the July term of the Bee County Grand Jury met for the first time Thursday.

Fourteen people, 12 jurors and two alternates, were appointed by District Judge Joel Johnson to serve until January 2009.

Layton E. Adams was named foreman, and Coral Lee Gibson was appointed alternate foreman. Both are Beeville residents.

The other grand jurors were Juanita C. Gomez, Emily Marie Garza, Laura Paige Wood, John Emmit Obrero, Robert Morales Jr., Kellene Baird, Domingo Ramirez III and Daniel Lee Perez, all of Beeville. Others were Mark Wayne Childs of Pettus and Michael Gene Peralta of Tuleta.

The two alternates appointed by Johnson were Norma Jean Saenz and Samuel G. Henderson, both of Beeville.

Grand jurors meet monthly to review cases against felony defendants and determine whether or not prosecutors have enough evidence to warrant a trial on the charges filed against them.

A grand jury indictment is not an indication of guilt. Only a judge or a trial jury can determine guilt or innocence in a contested criminal case.