New York mayor set for jury duty

NEW YORK, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will soon show that running a major U.S. city doesn't let you avoid jury duty.

A spokesman for the mayor said that Bloomberg is happy to do his part as a U.S. citizen and is looking forward to his first jury duty since he took over the city's reins in 2002, the New York Daily News said Sunday.

"The mayor has served on juries in the past and looks forward to doing his duty again -- or at least getting some time to catch up on his reading," spokesman Stu Loeser said.

Sources said that Bloomberg has been on five juries since 1981, including a day-long jury service on his 59th birthday.

His scheduled jury duty will take place in the Manhattan Supreme Court and will likely involve a civil case where requested damages exceed $25,000.

One good thing for Bloomberg though, the Daily News said, is that the Supreme Court building is a very short commute from City Hall.