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OXFORD — Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins, who is accused of plotting to murder an ex-deputy, will continue to get paid during his suspension while his court date is pushed back.

After a closed session, the Granville County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Oct. 7 to keep paying Wilkins' annual $109,608 salary and benefits during a suspension that might continue for months.

"Depriving an elected official of his or her pay based on charges which have not been adjudicated and to which the elected official has not had an opportunity to respond is not a decision to be taken lightly," Granville County Attorney Jim Wrenn said.

"It (Wilkins' trial) could be delayed by months," he said, "but that doesn't mean we won't gain access to additional information in that time that will convince the commissioners to change their decision."

Wilkins is charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice.

He had a court date set for Oct. 9, but his attorney, Thomas C. Manning, and Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman asked to postpone the case because Manning has a capital murder trial and Freeman has an ongoing investigation, according to an email from Freeman.

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