The Gold Coast Bulletin

Obama happy to serve as juror

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FORMER US President Barack Obama has been called for jury duty in Chicago.

Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans told county commission­ers during a budget hearing that Mr Obama, who owns homes in Washington, DC, and Chicago’s Kenwood neighbourh­ood, will serve in November.

He is registered to vote in Chicago.

Jurors in Cook County are paid $US17.20 ($A22.38) for each day of service.

Mr Evans said Mr Obama’s safety will be “uppermost in our minds” when he serves. He said: “He made it crystal clear to me through his representa­tive that he would carry out his public duty as a citizen and resident of this community.”

In 2010, Mr Obama received a summons for jury duty in Cook County, where he owns a home, as he was preparing for his first State of the Union address.

Mr Obama did not serve on that jury.

Those called can be put either in the pool for criminal case or civil hearings.

He will not be the first president to turn up for jury duty in the US. Former president George W. Bush reported for jury duty in Dallas, Texas in 2015.

 ?? Picture: AFP ?? Former US President Barack Obama owns a home in Chicago’s Kenwood neighbourh­ood and is registered to vote in Chicago, where he has been called for jury duty.
Picture: AFP Former US President Barack Obama owns a home in Chicago’s Kenwood neighbourh­ood and is registered to vote in Chicago, where he has been called for jury duty.

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