Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said his office is prepared in the event that former President Donald Trump is indicted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Speaking to journalists Tuesday afternoon at the Fulton Government Center, Labat explained that he sent deputies to the former president's New York and Miami court proceedings to gauge what could happen in downtown Atlanta in the coming weeks if an indictment is handed down.
The sheriff added that if Trump is charged, he would likely be subject to the same booking and photographing process of any other detainee. No president has ever been indicted in Atlanta, and Labat did not describe any specific plan's for that possibility. "It doesn't matter your status. We have a mugshot ready for you," Labat said, telling a room full of reporters that "if an indictment came today, we would be ready." He added, "Unless someone tells me differently, we are following our normal practices."
Last week, orange barricades popped up around the Fulton County Courthouse ahead of a possible indictment. Labat said that deputies are working with federal agencies and local law enforcement in preparation for possible demonstrations. The sheriff also revealed that, in recent weeks, his office has fielded and investigated dozens of threats against himself, Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis and unnamed judges. Willis is expected to release charging decisions in the case by September.
