Gov. Deal: No Panel To Consider Hill Suspension

Written by Associated Press (94) on Thursday, January 03, 2013 05:05 PM. Posted in State

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal has announced that he will not appoint a panel to consider the suspension of Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill.

Hill has been indicted on 32 felony charges stemming from a prior term he served as sheriff from 2005 to 2008. He maintains that the charges are politically motivated.

Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said in a statement Thursday that the governor has concluded that the law that governs the procedures for the suspension of public officials under indictment only applies to officials indicted while they were in office.

Robinson pointed out that Victor Hill was indicted last February when he was a private citizen.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association has said it wanted the governor to appoint a review commission to look into whether Hill should be suspended.