CULPEPER COUNTY, Va. — The trial of a Virginia sheriff accused of taking bribes in exchange for law enforcement badges and credentials was delayed for a third time this week due to unexpected medical issues. Now, the trial has been pushed to December.
The trial was originally set to begin on Tuesday but while potential jurors, the judge and attorneys from both sides were in the courtroom Jenkins was nowhere to be found. His absence was reportedly due to a recently developed medical condition.
The trial was rescheduled to begin on Wednesday, but again Jenkins was not present. The trial was then again for the next day.
An email obtained by WUSA9 from Jenkins's lawyer, Philip Andonian, to the judge shows his client was admitted to a hospital in the middle of the night. While Jenkins was reportedly discharged, Andonian renewed a motion to continue the trial due to "Mr. Jenkins's still-precarious condition."
Andonian says his client lost consciousness and his blood pressure remained at critical levels, even with medication. Additionally, Jenkins allegedly hit his head and appeared to show concussion symptoms.
"We are concerned that because Mr. Jenkins has not slept all night, he is not going to be able to effectively participate in jury selection and/or is going to either fall asleep or have another incident in front of the jury," the email to Judge Ballou and counsel reads.
The trial is now set to begin on Dec. 11.
RELATED: Sheriff Scott Jenkins charged with taking more than $70K in cash bribes for badges, credentials
Jenkins is charged with one county of conspiracy, four counts of honest services mail and wire fraud and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Jenkins, who lost his reelection in 2023, is accused of accepting $72,000 in cash bribes for badges under the auxiliary sheriff’s deputy program. According to court documents, the buyers were promised badges, ID’s, the ability to carry in all states without a concealed carry permit and request a “professional courtesy” to avoid a ticket if they were pulled over in the county.