Atlanta sets up ring of steel around courthouse to prepare for Trump’s FOURTH indictment
- Trump’s legal dramas could have a new setting this week: Atlanta, Georgia
- The downtown courthouse was fortified Monday pending possible charges
Days after former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to his third set of criminal charges, Atlanta police on Monday set up barriers around the city’s courthouse as the city braces for charges in yet another related case. with the 2020 elections.
Officers closed roads, dogs patrolled the area and food trucks stayed away from the normally busy court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is in the final stages of her investigation into Trump’s attempts to reverse his defeat in the key state of Georgia.
If charged, it would be the fourth time since March that he has been prosecuted.
Last week, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat presented what he called a “protection plan.”
Police closed roads on Monday and patrolled the Atlanta courthouse with dogs. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is believed to be in the final stages of her investigation into Trump
If charged in Fulton County, it would be the fourth time since March that former President Donald Trump has faced criminal charges
“Our goal is to have all the services we normally have open and operational, but at the same time create a safe environment for those we actually serve,” he told a news conference.
The precautions reflect how a divided country is entering uncharted territory, with the potential for mass demonstrations or a repeat of the violence that erupted on January 6, 2021.
Trump, 77, remains the clear front-runner for the 2024 Republican Party nomination.
But his election timetable must now include a slew of hearings.
Last week, he appeared in federal court in Washington to plead not guilty to charges that he conspired to defraud the US by preventing Congress from sanctioning Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory, stripping American voters of their right to a fair election .
That was Miami earlier in the summer. There he pleaded not guilty to charges related to his handling of government documents and an alleged cover-up.
And in April, he surrendered to authorities in New York, where he is accused of falsifying business records as part of a hush money payment to a porn star. He pleaded not guilty in that case.
Now Atlanta could be the next backdrop for his criminal battles.
On Monday, the front of the courthouse was lined with rows of orange plastic barricades and steel fences.
Food carts stayed away and the otherwise bustling neighborhood was empty on Monday
Heavy law enforcement was on hand outside the courthouse amid reports an indictment will be filed this week in Fulton County, Georgia
An anti-Trump protester made his feelings clear and urged the prosecution to go through with it
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is in the final stages of her investigation into Trump’s attempts to reverse his defeat in the key state of Georgia
Local media reports that an indictment is expected this week.
Willis hasn’t revealed much about the case she’s building, but lawyers familiar with her history say they believe she’ll invoke Georgia’s racketeering law.
It is modeled after the federal RICO laws that were put in place to link mob bosses to crimes committed by their underlings.
The state was a focus of Trump and his allies as they attempted to stay in power in the wake of his 2020 presidential election.
The then president was caught on tape and urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him.
“The people of Georgia are angry, the people of the country are angry,” he said in audio obtained by the Washington Post. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, uh, you recalculated.”
Raffensperger insisted Trump’s data was incorrect, but the president insisted, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, that’s one more than we have.”
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