Barricades were set up outside the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday, signaling the possibility of significant legal news. District Attorney Fani Willis is reportedly nearing a decision on whether to indict former President Donald Trump over allegations of attempting to undermine the results of Georgia’s 2020 election.
Charles Bethea, a staff writer for The New Yorker, posted a video on social media showing a long line of orange barriers positioned on the edge of a one-way street in front of the courthouse. This development comes after Willis suggested in May that a decision on whether to indict Trump was likely to be made in August. In a letter to county Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville, she requested that trials and in-person hearings not be scheduled during the first three weeks of August, hinting at potential significant legal developments.
The Fulton County case holds considerable importance as it pertains to Trump’s actions during the 2020 election. Joe Pagliery, writing for The Daily Beast, mentioned that it might lead to Trump’s third indictment, or fourth if Jack Smith indicts him again before Fani Willis does. While any of the charges against Trump could have serious consequences, the Atlanta case is regarded as particularly damning and threatening to the former president.
“Barricades erected outside the Fulton County courthouse now,” Bethea tweeted. “Looks like preparation for some big legal news…”
According to reports from The Guardian, Fulton County prosecutors are said to be preparing racketeering charges related to the Trump investigation. The racketeering statute in Georgia requires prosecutors to demonstrate the existence of an “enterprise” and a pattern of racketeering activity based on at least two “qualifying” crimes. In this case, the district attorney, Fani Willis, allegedly has evidence to pursue a racketeering indictment linked to statutes concerning influencing witnesses and computer trespass.
“An Atlanta prosecutor’s probe into the former president’s attempts to rig the 2020 election in Georgia is expected to shortly culminate in Trump’s third indictment — or his fourth, if Jack Smith indicts Trump again before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.”
Pagliery added that, “While any of the charges against Trump could land him in jail, the Atlanta case is especially damning and threatening.”
