President George W. Bush has been called for jury duty at a Dallas court on August 5.
The former president appeared at the George L Allen Sr Courts Building in downtown Dallas, prompting excitement amongst fellow jurors.
As it turned out, George W. Bush was not actually selected for duty but he spent time talking to the other jurors and took photos and spoke with everyone before he was spirited away from the building by secret service agents.
This is not the first time a former president has been called for duty – in 2003 Bill Clinton was a prospective juror in a gang shooting case in New York.
However, he was excluded by the judge, who said his secret service retinue could “undermine our efforts to keep the case focused quietly on the evidence”.
Judge Eric Moye insisted George Bush’s profile was not the reason he was not called for duty, the Dallas Morning News reported.
“He was number 27 of a 35 member panel and we only got through number 23,” the judge said.
Even actors have to turn up when summoned.
Often those who appear for jury duty in the first instance are not actually selected to serve on a trial.
