Group continues gathering signatures for Hall sheriff recall
Hall sheriff recall effort continues ahead of DUI trial
Organizers with Concerned Citizens of Hall County were out in the community gathering signatures for a petition to recall Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch.
HALL COUNTY, Ga. - A group of Hall County residents are continuing to gather signatures in an effort to recall Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch following his DUI arrest.
What we know:
Members of Concerned Citizens of Hall County were out gathering signatures on Sunday in an effort to remove Sheriff Gerald Couch from office.
Group member Melanie Garrish said the sheriff's DUI arrest in February served as the catalyst for the recall effort.
Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Couch on March 17 following the arrest, and the sheriff was reinstated three months later.
For the petition to succeed, the group must collect more than 42,000 signatures by Sept. 3.
Organizers still need about 40,000 additional signatures to reach their target. Garrish described their current progress as "just a drop in the bucket."
"We do know that there's been people that have told us that they have not signed because of fear of retaliation," Garrish said. "Some people don't like our delivery. We're doing the best we can. You know, we're not trying to condemn the man. We just think that he's not the right leadership for our county."
The other side:
Couch's attorney, Blake Poole, stated that the sheriff respects the right of citizens to petition their government and remains confident the public will judge him on his complete record of service.
His full statement provided to FOX 5 Atlanta can be found below:
"Sheriff Couch was elected by the people of Hall County to do a job, and he is doing that job. The deputies and staff of the Hall County Sheriff's Office continue to serve with the same professionalism and dedication they show every day, and nothing about this effort changes that.
"The Constitution protects the right of citizens to petition their government, and Sheriff Couch respects that right. He trusts the people of Hall County, and he is confident they will judge him on his full record of service. I, too, am confident that the people’s silence, by refraining from signing, will speak volumes about their support for the Sheriff."
What's next:
According to court records, Couch's DUI trial is scheduled for Sept. 21.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Rey Llerena, who covered the petition effort in Hall County, as well as official court records.