Oct. 28 (UPI) — Former President Barack Obama plans to report for jury duty next month in the Chicago area.
On Friday, Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans told county commissioners the former president received a summons at his home on the South Side of Chicago in Kenwood. Obama’s voting residence is in Chicago but he lives at a home in Washington, D.C.
Evans did not reveal specifics, including the city or suburban court branch, or the date he’ll serve. Civil or criminal pools are used to select jurors for trials.
“Obviously we will make certain that he has all the accouterments that accompany a former president,” Evans told The Chicago Tribune. “His safety will be uppermost in our minds.”
Jurors receive $17.20 for a day of services.
“Although it’s not a place where the public can earn a lot of money, it is highly appreciated,” Evans said of Obama’s decision to serve. “It’s crucial that our society get the benefit of that kind of commitment.”
When Obama was president in January 2010, his name appeared up on a jury duty list at the Bridgeview courthouse. Obama passed along word from Washington that he wouldn’t make it. He had good excuses, including working on his first State of the Union address and drafting the Affordable Care Act, which now commonly bears his name.
Previous Cook County jurors have include Oprah Winfrey, who ended up hearing a murder trial in 2004, and Mr. T in a 2009 drug case.
