Obama called to jury duty in Cook County and plans to serve

Former President Barack Obama has been called for jury duty in Cook County, Ill. — and plans to serve next month, the county’s chief judge said Friday.

Chief Judge Tim Evans told county commissioners during a budget hearing that Obama, who owns homes in Washington, D.C., and Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood, will serve next month.

Evans later told the Tribune that adjustments would be made to accommodate Obama’s security detail, but he could not say the date or courthouse location where the former president is expected to report.

“Obviously we will make certain that he has all the accouterments that accompany a former president,” Evans said. “His safety will be uppermost in our minds.

“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,” Evans said.

While Obama would likely be the highest-profile person ever to appear for jury duty in Cook County, other famous people, including Oprah Winfrey and Mr. T, have served, as have politicians including governors and mayors.

Jurors can be called for civil or criminal pools — which are used to select jurors for trials — and they can be called to any of the county’s city or suburban courthouses. All jurors watch a decades-old video narrated by a mustachioed Lester Holt, once a local news anchor, about their duties.

“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.”

An Obama spokesman could not immediately be reached Friday evening.