CIVIC CENTER — Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump waded through a throng of reporters and photographers outside New York Supreme Court at 60 Centre St. on his way to jury duty Monday.
The billionaire developer paused outside the courthouse about 9 a.m. to tell the media gaggle he considered it his “duty” and that he was “happy to do it,” the New York Post reported.
Donald Trump got grilled by reporters when he arrived for jury duty in NYC on Monday morning. https://t.co/n2ORTnLy2J
— CNBC (@CNBC) August 17, 2015For most of the morning, Trump, who wore a navy suit and blue tie with white stripes, sat quietly and chatted occasionally with fellow jurors.
During a brief recess, the candidate took time to sign a picture drawn by a courtroom sketch artist.
@AquiyAhoraShow Ahora está aquí en Jury Duty en estos momentos pic.twitter.com/dsspmZkEXa
— greyci polanco (@AGreyci) August 17, 2015He then talked to a few court officers while he stood in the hallway with his thumbs hooked into his belt.
Other potential jurors did not seem too impressed with Trump.
"It didn't faze me that he was here, he's just another guy," said Harlem resident Ramon Tabib. "There's nothing about his politics I like. He's a bully and that's how he wants to be elected."
Greyci Polanco of Inwood said he would try to avoid serving with the candidate.
"If they put us in the same case, I'm not going to be in it. I would refuse," Polanco said. "Because I'm Hispanic, and he's a racist."
Trump, who has never served on a case in Manhattan, sat alone at the front of the jury room after his break.
Some other people called to serve seemed to enjoy seeing the real estate mogul out of his usual element.
"He doesn't like Hispanics, and I don't like him. But he doesn't bother me in there," said Washington Heights resident Jose Polanco. "He's just someone like me."
Extra court officers were brought to deal with the crowd and provide some extra security, according to the head of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, Dennis Quirk.
“We do this with any high profile case,” Quirk said. “We just don't want him to be mobbed.”
