Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch arrested for DUI in county-issued SUV

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Hall County Sheriff Gerald Jay Couch was released from the Hall County Jail Friday evening after being arrested earlier in the day.

Couch, 63, was charged with driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane, and possession of an open container. According to jail records, he posted a $1,560 bond and was released around 6 p.m.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said that at approximately 10:30 a.m. Friday, a deputy driving an unmarked vehicle observed a black Chevrolet Tahoe failing to maintain its lane on Green Hill Road. The deputy followed the SUV — a county-issued vehicle assigned to Couch — into a private driveway.

When the deputy approached the driver, he reported noticing “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” and “clear signs of impairment,” including slurred speech and unsteadiness. After recognizing the driver as the sheriff, the deputy contacted the Georgia State Patrol to take over the investigation.

A spokesperson for the Georgia State Patrol said a trooper arrived at the residence around 11:30 a.m. The trooper reported that Couch appeared “unstable on his feet” when exiting the vehicle and also detected the odor of alcohol.

Following field sobriety testing, investigators determined Couch was under the influence of alcohol and placed him under arrest.

The sheriff’s office has taken custody of the county-issued SUV and notified state officials of the arrest. It remains unclear whether the governor’s office will take any action.

Although booking information was available Friday afternoon, the arrest record no longer appears in the “recent arrests” section of the Hall County Jail website.

There has been no information released regarding Couch’s next court appearance.

Couch previously stepped away from his duties in December, citing an unspecified health condition. He later returned to work.

He was first elected sheriff in 2012 and has served with the sheriff’s office since 1981.