George W Bush turns on the charm as he is summoned for jury duty

Former American president George W Bush reported for jury duty at a Dallas courthouse on being summoned, but didn't make it to the panel.

This is the second time he has been summoned. Bush was the president when he received the first summons in 2005.

"President Bush received his jury summons and reported for service this morning at the George Allen Courts Building in Dallas," said Freddy Ford, Mr Bush's communications director. "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."

That didn't stop him from chatting and posing for photographs, writes The Telegraph.

Jury sizes vary from six to twelve depending on the state and the case. Alternate jury members are often selected to step in if a juror falls sick.

A surprise entry not revealed to others, Bush ended up winning the hearts of fellow potentials, if not the juror seat.

Sheri Coleman, a juror, told The Dallas Morning News: "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."

When Bush was called on jury duty in 2005, the serving American president's team declined the summons.

On this occasion, Bush had the time and the enthusiasm. He was the 27th potential juror to be called in.

The jury selection process in the US sees the initial list drawn from members of the community using voter registration and licence data.

The second stage is called 'voir dire', a process by which the court and the attorneys narrow down the pool. The potential jurors are briefly given an outline of the case and then the lawyers and judge question them for prior knowledge of the case to make sure they hold no bias. Their beliefs and backgrounds are also examined.

Most states are strict and those called cannot refuse to appear unless they have a valid reason.