"American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino served a day as a juror in Mecklenburg County (N.C) Superior Court but was let go when the trial dragged on.

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Barrino, a resident of Charlotte, N.C., was chosen Wednesday to sit on a jury hearing a motor vehicle negligence case, the Charlotte Observer reported.

But by the end of the day, it was clear the trial would not wrap as quickly as expected and Judge David Lee and the attorneys involved excused the superstar juror so she could sing in a New York charity concert Thursday night, the newspaper said.

A court system administrator said Barrino was recognized by court staff and fellow jurors "right away."

"Jurors started coming up to her taking pictures with their camera phones and getting autographs," he said. "She's just really nice, down to earth. Not at all what you'd expect."