HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Elections officials in Hall County have an extra 15 days to verify signatures on an application seeking to recall Sheriff Gerald Couch, who was charged with driving under the influence.
A judge granted the request for extra time Friday. County Elections Director Lori Wurtz said her office needed more time to ensure all of the required 100 signatures were valid.
Couch has been back on the job since mid-June, after his 90-day suspension by the governor ended.
He was arrested Feb. 27 and charged with driving drunk near his home in his county-issued Chevy Tahoe.
Warrants show when he was arrested, his blood alcohol level registered .212, nearly three times the legal limit, and that he had been drinking at 6 a.m.
“I don’t see how he can effectively do his job if he is starting to drink at 8 a.m. in the morning, 6 a.m. in the morning,” said Tanya Hagwood, a member of the Concerned Citizens of Hall County, which is leading the recall effort.
Channel 2’s Bryan Mims asked if she thought this could happen again, to which she responded: “Yes, I am.”
If the application is approved, the group has 45 days to collect 42,000 signatures on the petition. If it’s successful, there would be a special election.
Hagwood, who voted for Couch in 2024, said this is not a personal vendetta, it’s about holding a law enforcement leader accountable.
“He has lost credibility as a leader in law enforcement,” she said.
Couch appeared for a court hearing in June, when his attorney filed a motion to suppress evidence collected from his county vehicle, including two open cans of Bahama Mama, saying it was a warrantless search. On Thursday, a judge granted that motion.
As to the recall effort, the sheriff’s attorney, Blake Poole, sent a written statement saying Couch “has a deep respect for the democratic process.”
“At the same time, the Sheriff remains fully confident in the work of his office and in his ability to continue serving as Sheriff of Hall County,” it said. “He is grateful for the strong support of the community he serves, and he hears and respects those who have voiced concerns.”
Hagwood said she’s confident her organization can collect the required signatures.
“We have more and more people coming every day asking where they can sign,” she said. “He needs to be held accountable. He took an oath to serve and protect Hall County, and he has violated those oaths.”
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