Now that former President Barack Obama is a private citizen, he has to do what other private citizens have to do. That includes serving on Jury Duty. He has been summoned to serve next month in Cook County, Illinois. Obama is a registered voter in Chicago where he still owns some property. That's why he has to go back there to fulfill his civic duties.

According to the Chicago Tribune, on Friday, October 27, Obama made it clear through his spokesperson to Tim Evans, chief judge of Cook County Circuit Court, that he would serve on jury duty as a resident of Chicago even though he lives in an $8.1 million house in Washington, DC.

No doubt those who have been called for jury duty at the same time will consider themselves lucky to serve on a jury with the 44th President of the United States. For obvious reasons, the exact date has not been disclosed yet. Even though he has been called, it is not certain whether he will actually be selected to sit on the jury. Everyone who is called for jury duty doesn't always get selected to hear a case.

Not the first time

This is not the first time Obama has been called for jury duty. He was called in 2009 when he was still running the country. Therefore, he was excused. He is not the first former president who has been called for jury duty. Former president George W. Bush was called after he left the White House.

He was called to serve in his hometown of Dallas, Texas in 2015. He was excused and didn't have to serve after all, but he was prepared to do so.

Celebrities who have served

In 2004, Oprah Winfrey served in Cook County where Obama will serve since they are both from Chicago. She was selected to sit on the jury that convicted a 27-year-old man of first-degree murder.

Winfrey was paid $17.20 per day for carrying out her public duty just like the other jurors. In 2014, actor Mr. T. was called to serve on a jury in Cook County, but he was not selected to hear a case.

When he was campaigning for the 2016 Presidential Election, Donald Trump was called to serve jury duty in August of 2015. He showed up that time, but he was not called.

However, he had a batch of fines to pay for missing jury duty on several other occasions.

Brad Pitt was dismissed from jury duty in 2014 because he was considered to be too much of a distraction to those in the jury box and others in the courtroom. Other Celebrities have been called throughout the years, but most of them have been excused because of the distraction they would have brought to the jury box and to the courtroom.
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