FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The anticipated Trump Trial has become top of mind for people in Fort Pierce as the exact date is still to be determined.
"I didn't really expect it to be in Fort Pierce necessarily but hey, here it is," Fort Pierce resident Marissa Kletter said.
Kletter said downtown Fort Pierce can get pretty busy on a normal day and said the street closures that will be implemented come trial day may be too much to handle.
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"I'm definitely going to avoid the area. I don't want to deal with the traffic. I don't want to deal with the other people," Kletter said. "I'm sure it'll be crazy."
Downtown is right around the corner from the federal courthouse.
On the same road as the courthouse are businesses like The Friends Produce, a fresh and organic produce store
"I think to open that day but I don't know, maybe I'm closed but I lose money that day," Andres Velazques said.
He says he's hesitant about trial day.
"I don't know how to prepare but I'm going to have to," Velazques said.
He anticipates a large amount of people to show up but said that law enforcement has warned him about possible protesters.
"They said we have to be careful because a lot of people are going to come and they don't know if they're going to destroy something," Velazques said. "I have to be careful because I have my family over here and I worry about my family."
The Friends Produce is family-owned and have been open for only three months.
"When you were deciding to open up shop here did you ever think you were going to have a big national story right next door?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.
"No, I never think that," Velazques said.
He said he was told U.S.1 outside his business and the courthouse will be shut down on trial day.
Despite the challenges, Velazques hopes the exposure will be beneficial in the long run.
"I think it's good for the city because more people will know about Fort Pierce," Velazques said. "For me I think it's good too because a lot of people are gonna see my business too."
