7:15 P.M. FRIDAY UPDATE:
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch posted bail late Friday afternoon and was released from his own jail after being charged several hours earlier with DUI and related charges.
HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE (HCSO) NEWS RELEASE:
“At approximately 10:30 a.m., a deputy operating an unmarked vehicle with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office observed a black Chevrolet Tahoe traveling on Green Hill Road and failing to maintain its lane. The deputy followed the vehicle as it turned into a private driveway.
Upon making contact with the driver, the deputy detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed clear signs of impairment. The driver exhibited slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. The deputy requested the Georgia State Patrol to conduct the DUI investigation as the driver was the sheriff, Gerald Jay Couch, 63.
The state patrol arrested Couch following its investigation and transported him to the Hall County Jail. He
posted $1,560 bond and was released from jail at approximately 6 p.m.
The sheriff’s office took possession of the SUV Couch was driving, which was his county-issued vehicle.
Agency officials also notified the state.”
EARLIER STORY. POSTED 4:30 P.M. FRIDAY:
Details are sketchy but Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch remained in the county jail Friday afternoon after being arrested on a DUI charge.
It’s not clear, at this time, when or where Couch was arrested, under what circumstances, and by what agency.
Whether it’s related or not, he took a leave of absence for about two weeks in December, reportedly for medical reasons.
Couch’s bond has been set at $1,560.