Barack Obama Dismissed from Serving on Chicago Jury Duty

Ex-President Barack Obama has turned up for jury duty at a Chicago courthouse, but was dismissed by the judge without being called on to serve.

Crowds thronged the Daley Center municipal building to catch a glimpse of the former president, who has a home in the Illinois city.

On November 8, Barack Obama left his home at 09:30 local time and returned at around midday.

Each potential juror receives a $17.20 cheque from the county.

News helicopters filmed from above as Barack Obama’s Secret Service motorcade moved from his home in the Kenwood neighborhood to an indoor car park downtown.

Wearing a jacket but no tie, the former president took a lift to the 17th floor, where he was met by other jurors as well as journalists, court staffers and lawyers.

After watching an “introduction to jury duty” video, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans dismissed Barack Obama.

Barack Obama Summoned for Jury Duty in Illinois

George W. Bush Called for Jury Duty in Dallas

Later in the day, the former leader delivered a paid speech to investment firm GCM Grosvenor, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Barack Obama’s communications director Katie Hill said in a statement that the former Democratic president “believes the most important office in our democracy is that of citizen, and he considers jury duty a core obligation of citizenship”.

He had previously been summoned in 2010, during his first four-year term as president, but he managed to get a postponement from the court.

Barack Obama’s excuse at the time was that he had a previously scheduled meeting with the president of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

In 2015, ex-President George W. Bush was called to jury duty in Dallas, Texas.

After posing for photos with other jurors, the former president was also dismissed.

In 2013, former President Bill Clinton was also dismissed from serving on a New York City jury hearing a gang shooting case.