ATLANTA — Fulton County officials are keeping a watchful eye on court proceedings involving former President Donald Trump ahead of what could result in another indictment against him.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said it was coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to equip and prepare law enforcement for proceedings in Atlanta as early as August. The sheriff's office said it would send deputies to New York and Florida, both places where former President Trump was previously arraigned, to learn tips about security operations.
It could take months to find out if Trump could spend years in federal prison if he's convicted on 37 charges tied to the mishandling of classified documents at his Florida estate and alleged refusal to hand those items over to the proper authorities. He pleaded not guilty when he faced a federal judge for the first time since the Justice Department indicted him. It marks Trump's second indictment in as many months.
"The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration's weaponized Department of Injustice will go down among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country," Trump said Saturday at the Georgia GOP convention in Columbus. "I’ve put everything on the line, and I will never yield. I never yield. I will never be deterred. I will never stop fighting for you.”
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Clark Cunningham, a law professor at Georgia State University, called the charges very serious, though he believes Trump could avoid prison time altogether.
"Perhaps he might end up in house arrest for the rest of his natural life," Cunningham said. "Part of that would have to do with his age and health. Part of it could be the challenge of providing secret service protection to somebody while they're in a prison cell. A quiet, silent life would be torture for Donald Trump."
Meantime, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office could send down its own indictment against Trump and others in August, as it investigates whether Trump and his allies criminally interfered with Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is working to rearrange schedules and have staff work remotely for the first part of the month.
Trump railed against Willis over the weekend, along with his recent indictment in the Florida investigation.
"This is a political hitjob," Trump said. "Fani Willis is spending all of her energy, all of her money, all of her time trying to get Trump. I had every right to complain that the election in Georgia was, in my opinion, rigged, that the election in Georgia was a disaster."
Ample evidence from the Secretary of State's Office showed there was no widespread fraud or disparities in Georgia's 2020 election. Trump's legal team filed a motion last month to toss out a special grand jury report recommending charges be brought against at least one person. However, it's not clear who may be charged with what crimes.
The Fulton County DA's Office said it had no comment on Trump's remarks or the ongoing investigation.
"What I expect we'll see in August is an indictment alleging a mass conspiracy to subvert democracy itself, which would obviously be of great importance," Cunningham said. "The former president’s strategy right now is to say ‘Bring it on every time I’m indicted.’ He thinks he’s becoming more popular."
Now with two indictments under his belt and two more potentially on the horizon, Cunningham said it's hard to figure out what case will go to trial first.
It seems at least one case could begin before the nation picks a president and it's not really clear if these charges could impact Trump's run for the White House.
However, Cunningham said that the more time he spends in the courtroom the less time he spends on the campaign trail.