# Does the President have to do jury duty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868 "2009-04-12T18:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/1 "2009-04-12T18:29:59Z")
I know it would never happen…But could he? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/2 "2009-04-12T18:51:10Z")
Per this [article](http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0110/p01s03-uspo.html) from the Christian Science Monitor, presidents Reagan and Bush were summoned while still president (but deferred service), Bill Clinton was summoned after leaving office (but dismissed by the judge) and Rudolph Giuliani served on a jury while mayor of New York City. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/3 "2009-04-12T18:51:30Z")
Not sure why he would be excluded be default. If he asked to not show up they would excuse him. I believe we had a local office holder (city council) who served on a jury. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/4 "2009-04-12T19:00:32Z")
Not quite the Presidential level, but Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was called to serve on a jury in 2005 (for a drunk driving case). One of the lawyers ended up requesting he be excused. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/5 "2009-04-12T19:14:48Z")
Often exemptions can be made automatically for those who are summoned, but their job provides a ‘critical’ service to the community. Usually that includes people who already work in the legal system, emergency workers, medical workers, and sometimes politicians. I would imagine that anyone remotely sane would acknowledge that being the President is a rather critical job. And even if they didn’t, I have no doubt that the judge and both lawyers would be tripping over themselves to dismiss the President, even if only because it would most certainly turn the trial into an absolute circus, and thus be a huge pain. ---
**Author:** ![telebox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@telebox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/telebox)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/6 "2009-04-12T20:30:41Z")
Apparently even The Royal Family are no longer on the list of those exempt from jury service here in Britain … > **[Royals lose jury service exemption](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/14/jurytrials.monarchy)** > > MPs persuaded the government yesterday that all members of the royal household except the Queen and her immediate family should be eligible for jury service. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/7 "2009-04-13T02:14:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Not quite the Presidential level, but Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was called to serve on a jury in 2005 (for a drunk driving case). One of the lawyers ended up requesting he be excused. I can only assume it was the lawyer who figured he had the losing case. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/8 "2009-04-13T05:57:51Z")
Actually, I believe lawyers are rarely allowed to serve on juries. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/9 "2009-04-13T12:44:55Z")
Not in England and Wales after the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Now pretty much everyone serves and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers have been called as has one retired law lord. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/10 "2009-04-13T17:01:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Actually, I believe lawyers are rarely allowed to serve on juries. Ordinarily, yes, but there are so many lawyers in Washington DC that this is no longer true here. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/11 "2009-04-13T19:07:31Z")
In Ohio, virtually all career exemptions from jury service were abolished years ago. Judges, magistrates, lawyers, police officers etc. all can and do serve on Ohio juries, subject of course to dismissal for cause or peremptory challenge. Sometimes the presiding judge will give a limiting instruction or get an assurance from the prospective juror that he or she will not dominate jury deliberations by virtue of his or her background or training. The President is registered to vote and drive in Illinois. Presumably, if summonsed in Illinois, he would be excused after he reminded the court that he is now a fulltime temporary resident of Washington, D.C., and that serving on a jury in Illinois would cause a hardship. He would not appear on voter or driver registration rolls in Washington itself, and thus is very unlikely to be summonsed to serve on a District of Columbia jury. Due to his important, time-consuming and weighty public duties, I would unhesitatingly excuse the President from serving on any jury over which I was presiding. If everything fell into place, however, I know of no _legal_ reason why he could not be a juror. Indeed, it might send an important and civic-minded message to his fellow Americans if he did. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/12 "2009-04-13T19:24:24Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The President is registered to vote and drive in Illinois. Presumably, if summonsed in Illinois, he would be excused after he reminded the court that he is now a fulltime temporary resident of Washington, D.C., and that serving on a jury in Illinois would cause a hardship. He would not appear on voter or driver registration rolls in Washington itself, and thus is very unlikely to be summonsed to serve on a District of Columbia jury. Right. > [@](#): > > Jurors must be: > (1) Inhabitants of the county. > (2) Of the age of 18 years or upwards. > (3) Free from all legal exception, of fair character, of approved integrity, of sound judgment, well informed, and able to understand the English language, whether in spoken or written form or interpreted into sign language. > (4) Citizens of the United States of America. [Illinois General Assembly - -](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1860&ChapAct=705%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B305%2F&ChapterID=50&ChapterName=COURTS&ActName=Jury+Act). > [@](#): > > Upon prior approval by the chief judge of the judicial circuits in which a county board, jury administrator, or jury commissioners are situated, the county board, jury administrator, or jury commissioners **shall excuse a prospective juror from jury service if the prospective juror shows that such service would impose an undue hardship on account of the nature of the prospective juror’s occupation, business affairs** , physical health, family situation, active duty in the Illinois National Guard or Illinois Naval Militia, or other personal affairs, and cause his or her name to be returned to the jury list or general jury list. [Illinois General Assembly - -](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1860&ChapAct=705%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B305%2F&ChapterID=50&ChapterName=COURTS&ActName=Jury+Act). (Emphasis added.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/13 "2009-04-13T19:27:10Z")
My recollection is that Mr Bush was summoned by a Texas court while he was serving as President. He appeared by agent and requested a deferral until he was no longer in office, which the judge granted. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-have-to-do-jury-duty/492868/14 "2009-04-13T19:35:29Z")
found the article: [Jury duty is for Everyman](http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0110/p01s03-uspo.html?s=widep). as well, there was a similar episode while he was Governor of Texas. Mr Gonzales appeared for him and got him excused, in an episode that was not without some controversy, since it may have shielded Mr Bush from revealing his own drunk driving conviction: [Gozales’ Truthfulness Long Disputed](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072901327_pf.html).