Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Tuesday suspending Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch from office for 60 days, effective immediately.
What’s Happening: The order follows a recommendation from a three-member investigative committee Kemp appointed on March 6. The committee delivered its recommendation to suspend Couch on March 16.
What’s Important: The suspension is authorized under Georgia Code Section 15-16-26, a state law that allows the governor to suspend a sheriff for up to 60 days based on a committee’s recommendation. The committee was formed after Couch was arrested February 27 on DUI charges in his own county.
Catch Up Quick: A Hall County deputy spotted Couch’s county-issued black Chevrolet Tahoe drifting out of its lane on Green Hill Road around 10:30 a.m. Georgia State Patrol took over the stop after the deputy realized the driver was the sheriff. A State Patrol incident report showed Couch told troopers he had been drinking Four Loko starting at 6 a.m. His breath test came back at .212, more than twice the legal limit of .08. Troopers also found two open containers inside the vehicle. He was booked into the Hall County jail and released on a $1,560 bond.
The Process: Georgia law allows the governor to form an investigative committee when a sheriff faces criminal charges, alleged misconduct in office, or alleged incapacity to perform the duties of the office. The committee Kemp named on March 6 included Attorney General Christopher Carr, Greene County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, and Glascock County Sheriff Jeremy Kelley. The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association had formally requested the investigation in a letter to the governor dated March 3.
What’s Still Unknown: The executive order does not name a replacement or acting sheriff for Hall County during the suspension.
The Path Forward: The suspension runs from March 17. Couch still faces criminal DUI charges in Hall County.
