Hall County’s longtime sheriff has been suspended for 60 days following his February DUI arrest that stemmed from his alleged decision to drink malt beverage Four Loko and then hop behind the wheel of his county-issued SUV.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday issued an order suspending Sheriff Gerald Couch for two months at the recommendation of the three-member panel he tasked with looking into the Hall County lawman’s arrest.
The panel included Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and two other Georgia sheriffs. Couch’s suspension starts immediately, the governor said in his order.
Couch was arrested Feb. 27 and charged with DUI, failure to maintain a lane and open container, officials said. The 63-year-old was booked into his own jail after the Georgia State Patrol said his blood alcohol level was 0.212, more than 2.5 times the legal limit.
A state trooper noted in the incident report that Couch was driving his county-issued Chevrolet Tahoe at the time, around 10:30 a.m.
Couch smelled of alcohol and said he had been drinking the malt beverage Four Loko that morning, according to the report.
Georgia law gives the governor the authority to investigate an elected sheriff who faces criminal charges and to suspend the official or take other actions. Hall County’s Chief Deputy Kevin Head is currently heading the sheriff’s office following Couch’s arrest.
The sheriff’s office said Tuesday it was aware Kemp’s order had been posted to the governor’s website, but had received " no official notification of Sheriff’s Couch’s suspension."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reached out to Couch’s attorney for comment.
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