Authorities said Friday that security measures are being enhanced at the courthouse in Fulton County, Georgia, for upcoming "high-profile legal proceedings," but did not say if they involved a grand jury's investigation and a potential indictment against former President Donald Trump.
Barricades similar to the ones used in Manhattan in April when Trump was indicted on charges of falsifying business records went up around the courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday, sparking speculation that a grand jury investigating charges against Trump and others involving alleged criminal interference in Georgia's 2020 presidential election could be about to release indictments, WSB-TV in Atlanta reported.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office confirmed that deputies are coordinating security measures with local, state, and federal agencies for upcoming "high-profile legal proceedings" at the courthouse.
The charges could also involve Rudy Giuliani, Trump's former attorney, as well as other national, state, and local officials. An indictment does not determine guilt or innocence but will be returned by the grand jury if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has said the indictments could come in August, provides enough evidence to warrant charges.
The investigation began more than two years ago after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, in January 2021, in a conversation prosecutors claim was to put pressure on him to "find" votes that would overturn the results of the state's election. Trump has insisted that the conversation was a "perfect phone call."
The investigation has extended to include the testimony Giuliani and others have given to a State Senate subcommittee, an alleged break-in at the Coffee County Elections Office, and more.
Speculation arose about the barriers after New Yorker staff writer Charles Bethea posted a video of them on Twitter, The Daily Mail reported.
The footage shows large orange barricades placed along the sidewalk outside the Fulton County Courthouse's main entrance. The barriers then divide the street and obstruct the stairs.
Barricades were also placed past the courthouse and along an intersection, the video shows.
The Georgia Supreme Court last year refused Trump's request to block the Fulton County investigation, claiming Willis has violated state rules in her use of grand juries, including using one grand jury to investigate cases before presenting evidence to another.
The barricades also were going up while additional charges were filed against Trump through special counsel Jack Smith in the case involving documents being kept at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.