Streets closing around Atlanta courthouse where Trump may be indicted

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in Atlanta will be increasing security and closing streets around the Fulton County Courthouse ahead of a possible indictment against former President Trump. 

Pryor Street SW between MLK Jr. Drive and Mitchell Street will close to general traffic starting 5 a.m. Monday through Aug. 18, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. 

The sheriff’s office said the Fulton County Courthouse and Fulton County Government Center will remain open to the public, and pedestrian traffic will be allowed on Pryor Street. No public parking will be permitted around the perimeter of the courthouse on either side of the street. 

The tightened security comes as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in her investigation into Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the 2020 election in the state. 

Willis’s investigation into whether Trump violated the law has spanned more than two years, with a heavy focus on a call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in January 2021 where he asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes to overturn President Biden’s victory in the election. 

The investigation has also looked into phone calls made to other state officials, fake Republican electors, alleged efforts to pressure two election workers and unproven claims of election fraud. 

In a letter in May, Willis requested that judges in the county not schedule trials and in-person hearings from Aug. 7-14, an indication she could bring charges against the former president this month. She previously said about 70 percent of her staff will work remotely on multiple days in August. 

Sheriff Patrick Labat earlier this week installed security barriers around the Fulton County Courthouse, a decision Willis called “smart.” 

Labat said Tuesday that threats were made against himself and Willis and vowed the department will run those threats “to the ground.”