- Former President Barack Obama showed up for jury duty at a courthouse in Chicago but was dismissed.
- He will donate his paycheck to charity.
- Obama joins two recent presidents who have also been rejected for jury duty.
ADVERTISEMENT
Obama arrived for jury duty in Chicago to crowds of fans — only to be rejected shortly afterward
Barack Obama was rejected for jury duty in Chicago, joining two other recent former presidents who have also been dismissed.
Former President Barack Obama arrived for jury duty on Wednesday morning only to have his panel rejected less than two hours later.
Just after 10 a.m., in a motorcade complete with a Secret Service detail, Obama pulled up to the Richard J. Daley Center courthouse in downtown Chicago, where he was quickly greeted by fans, according to The Associated Press.
But after less than two hours at the courthouse, Obama was dismissed, the local station WGN9 reported.
ADVERTISEMENT
Like all potential jurors in Cook County, where Chicago is located, Obama was paid $17.20 for his service. But the former president said he would donate it to charity, according to WGN9.
In a video posted from the courthouse on Wednesday, Obama can be seen shaking other potential jurors' hands.
Obama is the most recent former president to be called for jury duty, but not the only one.
In 2015, George W. Bush showed up as a potential juror in Dallas, and in 2003, Bill Clinton answered the call in New York. Like Obama, Clinton and Bush were not selected.
In Chicago, several other celebrities have served on juries in recent years, including the actor and wrestler Lawrence Tureaud, also known as Mr. T, as well as the TV host Oprah Winfrey. While Tureaud was rejected, Winfrey served on a jury that convicted a man of murder in 2004, according to WGN9.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
ADVERTISEMENT