He may have once been the leader of the free world but, on Wednesday, George W. Bush did what any ordinary citizen does when called upon: He reported for jury duty.
The former president spent a few hours fulfilling his civic duty and taking photos with a group of surprised potential jurors in Dallas, many of whom tweeted their pictures. Bush didn't get picked to sit on the jury.
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"President Bush received his jury summons and reported for service this morning at the George Allen Courts Building in Dallas," Freddy Ford, Bush's communications director, said in a statement. "He sat through the jury selection panel for a case in Judge Eric Moye's court on the 14th civil district but — surprise! — was not picked to serve as a juror."
Desiree' Bryant, a website developer, tweeted a photo of herself standing next to a smiling Bush, who was clad in gray trousers and a short-sleeved plaid shirt.
"Look who I just met doing Jury Duty! #POTUS," she wrote.
Judge Staci Williams tweeted a photo of her intern side by side with Bush. "At least my interns have fun! Pres. George Bush Jr. was at the courthouse today. Jury duty is required of all!" she said.
Dallas resident Sheri Coleman told the Dallas Morning News that Bush's visit was "awesome."
"He was very personable, very friendly, just 'Hey, I'm here to serve.' He asked questions and was very nice," she said. "I loved it."
Secret Service agents were present outside the judge's court, the paper said.
Bush has been largely out of the spotlight recently. His brother, former Florida governor and presidential contender Jeb Bush, will participate in the first GOP debate in the 2016 presidential race on Thursday.