A felony criminal trial won’t be the least of DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis’s worries. And it won’t be the first of his worries either.

“There’s a Georgia statute that provides for his potential suspension,” said WSB legal analyst Ron Carlson.

In addition to the criminal case resulting from Tuesday’s indictment by a special grand jury, Ellis, accused of extortion and theft, will also face a special three-member commission which will soon be appointed by Governor Nathan Deal.

Comprised of a representative from the Attorney General’s office and two of his peers, that panel will recommend to the governor whether Ellis should be suspended from office while his criminal case is pending.

“This removal from office through suspension, that goes very fast,” Carlson explained.

The three-member commission will have just 14-days to make its recommendation. What happens after that – and when – will be up to Governor Deal, said Carlson.