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GATESVILLE – Gates County’s administrative offices were back open to the public at 1 p.m. on Monday following a shorter-than-expected criminal trial that led to heightened security measures put in place in and around the courthouse.

The high profile trial that began Monday morning during a session of Superior Court involved Brian K. Valentine and Tracey Mitchell, both of Ahoskie. They were charged in an attempted murder that took place in the Sandbanks area of the county on Oct. 7, 2020.

According to Gates County Sheriff Ray Campbell, the two men accepted a plea deal as court opened Monday morning. Mitchell pled guilty to attempted murder and felony conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 180 months to 228 months (15-to-19 years) in prison. Valentine entered a guilty plea for felony conspiracy and was sentenced to 165 months to 210 months (13.75-to-17.5 years).

Valentine and Mitchell are also linked to other violent crimes that occurred in 2020 and 2021 in Bertie and Hertford counties.

On Sunday, one day before the trial, Campbell and William M. Tutwiler, Gates County’s Emergency Manager/Fire Marshal, put a plan in place to keep the county’s administrative offices closed to the public July 22-24. That closure impacted Tax, Public Utilities, Planning, Zoning & Inspections, Cooperative Extension, Farm Service Agency, Soil & Water Conservation, the Register of Deeds, and all administrative offices at the old courthouse.

However, all those offices were back open to the public early Monday afternoon.

Tutwiler said on Sunday that the closures were due to the anticipated increased traffic coupled with heightened security surrounding the trial.

That plan also included additional security to ensure the safe arrival of potential jurors, court personnel, and the transportation of defendants to the courthouse.

Campbell said he had approximately 20 law enforcement officers in and around and courthouse on Monday. He noted that his deputies were supported by officers from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina SBI, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Dare County Sheriff’s Office, ALE, and North Carolina Probation and Parole.

He added that retired Gates County Sheriff Ed Webb also provided assistance. Gates County Emergency Management personnel and Gates County Rescue and EMS were also on scene.

“I cannot thank these people enough for all their help,” Campbell stated.