Update published at 2:40 p.m. Monday, June 15:

Suspended Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch at a pre-trial hearing on June 9, 2026 / Photo taken by William Daughtry

Suspended Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch at a pre-trial hearing on June 9, 2026 / Photo taken by William Daughtry

The attorney for Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch says the sheriff will return to active duty on Tuesday, June 16.

Attorney Blake Poole issued a statement confirming Couch's return to office on Monday afternoon, June 15.

"Sheriff Couch is fit for duty and eager to get back to work for the people of Hall County," Poole's statement said. "He has used this time away from the office to reflect on his commitment to public service and the community he has dedicated his career to protecting."

Couch has been suspended from office by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for the past 90 days as he faces criminal charges for a driving under the influence arrest in February of this year. That trial is tentatively set to begin in September as Poole is currently moving to have evidence in the trial dismissed.

Couch has not spoken publicly since his arrest, and Poole said Couch will not take interviews at this time.

Original story published at 1:10 p.m. Monday, June 15:

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch will return to the office on Tuesday pending any further action by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

Following a Feb. 27 driving under the influence (DUI) arrest on Couch, Kemp suspended him for 60 days on March 17 and extended it by 30 days on May 15.

That extension expired over this past weekend, and Hall County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) officials told Access North Georgia that it is "our understanding that Sheriff Couch will return to the office [June 16]."

The Governor's Office has been reached out to by Access North Georgia, with no response coming from them.

This comes as Couch is facing a criminal trial in connection to the DUI arrest. The most recent development is Couch's attorney, Blake Poole, motioning to suppress evidence.

The judge will likely make a decision in July on if and how much evidence will be suppressed in the trial.