Vice President Biden Reports to Jury Duty but Gets a Pass

Being vice president of the United States gets you definite privileges at the White House, but it doesn't get you out of jury duty.

Vice President Joe Biden reported for jury duty at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., on Monday morning, along with 100 other Delawareans, the Delaware News Journal reports. The vice president went "in his capacity as a private citizen," the White House said in a press release.

Biden, a former Delaware senator, arrived at 9:30 a.m. and waited in the jury assembly room, but was dismissed shortly after noon without being called.

The criminal Court of Common Pleas hears cases on Mondays -- normally misdemeanors -- so it's likely the vice president would have had to serve only a day or two had he been selected.

Biden was the second high-level government official to be called to jury duty recently. Last week, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan appeared for duty at a superior court in Washington, D.C., but was also dismissed.

Biden, who wore a suit, reportedly chatted with other prospective jurors, and said, "I don't consider myself different than any other person. This is important . . . It is an honor to be part of the system." Secret Service personnel milled outside, and during a break, the vice president made several phone calls on a secure telephone.

A modern sitting president has never served jury duty while in office, according to MSNBC, but Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were all summoned but were excused.

MSBNC reports that almost exactly one year ago, President Obama was excused from jury duty at a county courthouse in a Chicago suburb. He had a good reason to be absent: He was preparing for his first State of the Union address