Orange barricades were set up outside the entrance to the Fulton County Courthouse, the first visible sign of extra security ahead of the expected indictment of former president Donald Trump next month.
In a statement issued late Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said the agency is coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement to enhance security ahead of “high-profile legal proceedings.”
“Some of the measures we are deploying, such as barriers that will limit parking near the courthouse, will be obvious to the public,” Natalie Ammons said. “For security reasons, other measures being deployed will not be as obvious.”
The sheriff’s office asked the public and anyone conducting business at the Fulton courthouse to “plan accordingly” to ensure they arrive on time for hearings, meetings and other proceedings.
“As always, our focus remains on protecting the residents of Atlanta and Fulton County and visitors to the metropolitan Atlanta area,” Ammons said.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. That includes the former president’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he urged the fellow Republican to “find” the 11,780 votes needed to win Georgia.
Willis is expected to seek an indictment in the coming weeks, which could bring an influx of demonstrators and counter-protesters to the downtown Atlanta courthouse.
A special grand jury met for nearly eight months between May 2022 and January 2023, hearing testimony from about 75 witnesses and collecting evidence for Willis. That investigative body did not have the power to issue indictments.
In February, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney released a redacted portion of the special grand jury’s final report. It excluded the list of who they believed should be charged with various state crimes.
The redacted version of the report did include a few notable disclosures, however, including that jurors were in unanimous agreement that there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the state’s 2020 elections. It also stated that a majority of jurors had recommended that prosecutors pursue perjury charges against at least one witness they believe lied under oath in their testimony.
Willis has heavily implied she will indict Trump and others next month and has urged law enforcement to prepare because her decision could “provoke a significant public reaction.” Two regular grand juries were seated earlier this month that are expected to consider any would-be charges.
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