Road outside Georgia courthouse to close ahead of possible Trump indictment

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) — Security measures inside and outside a US court in Atlanta are being increased ahead of a possible indictment against former President Donald Trump.

The local sheriff's office said Pryor Street, which runs along the northwestern part of the Fulton County Courthouse, will be closed along the span of the building's bloc as of 5 a.m. EDT (0900GMT) on Monday through Aug. 18.

Pedestrians will still be allowed, but there will be no public parking in the area around the courthouse perimeter on either side of the street.

"This plan is subject to change. We will advise of any changes as soon as we possibly can. Thank you for your cooperation," the statement added.

Authorities have already tightened security in the area, including by installing security barriers.

The measures come as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in her investigation into the former president's attempt to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

That case comes from an investigation centered on Trump and his allies' alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election results, including a call by the then-president call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he appealed to the top state law enforcement official to “find 11,780 votes,” the number he would have needed to reverse his loss the battleground state.

The grand jury that is weighing potential indictments convened in July after a special grand jury interviewed dozens of witnesses, including close Trump allies and state officials, and issued a report whose recommendations have so far remained out of the public eye.

However, the grand jury impaneled in July will decide whether to formally bring a criminal case against Trump, and potentially over a dozen other defendants.

District Attorney Willis has indicated that she expects any indictments to be handed down in the first half of August, reportedly sending a letter to the court and law enforcement agencies in May requesting no other hearings or trials take place between Aug. 7-14.