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 / Updated By Elizabeth Chuck 
 
 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. 
 
 "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.” 
 
 Related: Who to Watch at the GOP Debate? Try Jeb Bush 
 
 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. ||||| Being summoned for jury duty at the George L Allen Sr Courts Building in downtown Dallas was anything but dull for Sheri Coleman. 
 
 In fact, Coleman and other jurors were in for quite the surprise Wednesday morning when former President George W. Bush also showed up for jury duty at Judge Eric Moye’s court on the 14th civil district. 
 
 “They made it seem like it was an anonymous juror that never showed up and then they brought him in,” she said. 
 
 Coleman, of Dallas, said Bush spent time talking to the other jurors and took photos and spoke with everyone. She said the president’s visit was “awesome” and “surprising.” 
 
 “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.” 
 
 Bush’s spokesman Freddy Ford confirmed the president was summoned for jury duty and said Bush was at the courthouse in the 600 block of Commerce Street from about 8:50 a.m. until just before noon. 
 
 Secret service could be seen outside Moye’s court on the 5th floor of the courthouse. 
 
 Moye said he found out this morning that the former president had been assigned to his courtroom and said having Bush in his courtroom was “quite an experience.” 
 
 “It would be great if everyone took their jury service the same way [Bush] did,” he said. “He understood it was important, he took it in good nature and he was engaged and talked to the lawyers.” 
 
 Moye said the reason Bush wasn’t selected as a juror wasn’t because of his high-profile nature, but simply because the positions had already been filled. 
 
 “He was number 27 of a 35 member panel and we only got through number 23,” he said. 
 
 Moye said he hopes future potential jurors will follow Bush’s lead of showing up for jury duty. 
 
 “One of the remarks I made to jury was all of you have some reason why you have to do something else,” he said. “But take a look over and see you have the former president who has given his time to be here, so think how good your excuses for getting out of here really are.” 
 
 Moye said Bush was “incredibly gracious” to all of the court staff and took photos with bailiffs, clerks and even the summer interns. 
 
 “He made sure it was a wonderful experience,” he said. 
 
 Joel Ehambe, another potential juror, said he sat just in front of the former president. 
 
 “I turned around and he was seated right behind me and I said, “I think I know that guy,” he said. “Then the judge introduced him and said it was an honor to have the former president of the United States in the court.” 
 
 Ehambe said he was nervous at first to be in the same room as the former president, but Bush helped put everyone at ease. 
 
 “He was laughing and talking and it helped ease the tension,” he said. 
 
 Ehambe said he took photos with the former president and spoke with him for a few minutes. 
 
 “I said it was an honor to meet him and I thanked him for being there,” he said. “He thanked me as well.”
– Potential jurors in downtown Dallas today got a surprise today when George W. Bush showed up at court after being summoned for jury duty along with them. “He was very personable, very friendly, just, 'Hey I’m here to serve,’" another potential juror, Sheri Coleman, tells the Dallas Morning News. As it turns out, Bush didn't get picked. “He was number 27 of a 35-member panel, and we only got through number 23,” says Judge Eric Moye of the 14th civil district. But everyone got lots of photo ops to tweet before Bush and his Secret Service detail went home, notes NBC News.