DA Fani Willis says Georgia indictment decisions will come this summer

Criminal charges in the ongoing probe of former President Donald Trump and his allies' efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia will come during a court term that begins July 11, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wrote Monday.

Willis made the announcement in a letter to law enforcement including Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat Monday, asking for "heightened security and preparedness" ahead of what could potentially be yet another case where Trump faces indictments for his actions.

The letter was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Open-source intelligence has indicated the announcement of decisions in this case may provoke a significant public reaction," Willis wrote. "We have seen in recent years that some may go outside of public expressions of opinion that are protected by the First Amendment to engage in acts of violence that will endanger the safety of our community. As leaders, it is incumbent upon us to prepare."

A special purpose grand jury convened for eight months in 2022 to investigate various attempts to undo Trump's narrow defeat in Georgia, ranging from a scheme to send falsified documents from Republicans claiming to be the state's presidential electors, to a parade of false statements made to lawmakers in unofficial hearings, to the infamous calls Trump made to cajole and pressure public officials to overrule the electoral outcome.

Now, a regular grand jury will be the ones to hear evidence amassed by the investigative jury to decide what laws might have been broken and who faces charges for breaking them.

Willis' letter ends speculation that the upcoming grand jury term, which begins next week, would be when the investigation would enter the next phase of action.

"I will be announcing charging decisions resulting from this investigation during Fulton County Superior Court’s fourth term of court, which will begin on July 11, 2023, and conclude on September 1, 2023," Willis said in her letter.

The news comes as a consortium of media outlets is appealing a decision to partially redact the special grand jury's final recommendations, Trump's lawyers filed a sweeping motion to virtually invalidate the investigation and prosecution of anyone in relation to the 2020 election and Willis is seeking to remove the lawyer representing some of the fake GOP electors, citing an "ethical mess" uncovered by recent interviews.