Look who’s about to do some jury duty. Why, it’s non other than Barack Obama. The former president will begin his civic duty next month in Chicago, his adopted hometown.According to Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, county commissioners were told on Friday that Mr. Obama’s safety will be “upmost in our minds” when he serves.
Obama, of course has made Washington, DC his primary residence since leaving the White House. However, he and Michelle still have their Chicago address as well (where he is registered to vote).Evans told the Tribune that Obama’s decision to show up for jury duty is “highly appreciated.”
“It’s crucial that our society get the benefit of that kind of commitment,” he said.
As you might have guessed, Obama isn’t the first president to go to jury duty. In 2015, Former President George W Bush reported for jury duty in a Dallas courthouse. He wasn’t selected but posed for pictures with other potential jurors.
This wouldn’t be the first celebrity in an Illinois courthouse either. Oprah Winfrey was selected in 2004 for a murder trial where the defendant was found guilty. She said that her experience as a juror was one of the saddest in her entire life.
Interestingly, Obama and the other jurors will be shown a decades-old video about the duties of being a member of the jury by a younger Lester Holt. Lester, who was a local newsreader at the time, if now lead anchor of NBC Nightly News.
Oh yeah, check this out. Jurors in Cook County are paid $17.20 for each day of service.
As USA Today notes, until recently, Obama has mostly stayed out of the public eye since President Trump took office in January.
The former POTUS campaigned earlier this month for Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and recently appeared with former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter to raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief.
PHOTO: PR Photos
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