NATCHEZ — Even though the murder trial of Christopher Lee Baxter had little visible effect on the lives most Adams County residents, hosting the trial in Natchez sent ripples through the local justice system as law enforcement and court personnel had to make adjustments to accommodate it.

Baxter, 26, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without possibility for parole Friday for the July 2010 killing of George County Sheriff Gary Welford. The sheriff died after being struck by a truck Baxter and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Brandy Williams, were in during a high-speed chase.

Baxter’s case was moved to the Adams County Circuit Court to ensure he could be given a fair trial due to the high exposure the case received in George County.

Adams County Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker said the process of moving the trial to Adams County began with the defense’s motion to move the trial.

“A host county must be chosen, and when that happens we will get an order from the judge (presiding over the trial),” Walker said. “Arrangements are then made with the judges here to do that.”

Adams County Circuit Court was set to begin its term this week, with Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders scheduled to be on the bench. Rather than try to call jurors for both the Baxter case and Adams County’s regular court session, Walker said the judge decided to delay the term by a week.

“(Sanders) pretty much set aside all of her business for the balance of the week,” Walker said.

“Had she continued with her court term — we had summoned 350 jurors for (George County), and Judge Sanders issued an order to draw 300 jurors for her — that could have been quite an ordeal.”

Walker said the circuit clerk from George County came in to direct the logistics of the trial, but Walker provided some assistance.

“I worked very closely with him, especially with the first day in handling the jury and helping direct, but I pretty much handed it over to him from that point,” Walker said.

Local court reporters were used in the courtroom, but were paid for by George County, Walker said.

“They could have brought their own court reporters, but they asked if our reporters would be willing to do it for them,” Walker said. “We had two reporters who kind of tag-teamed the trial.”

A special judge appointed by the state supreme and paid for by George County oversaw the trial.

Adams County helped arrange the logistics of transporting Baxter from the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, where he was housed before and after the trial, Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said.

During the trial, the suspect was housed in the Adams County jail with non-convict, low-level offenders, Mayfield said.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol provided some security, sending in a dog to sniff the courtroom and other facilities for guns or bombs, and the ACSO provided courtroom security.

The deputies who were assigned to the courtroom were on-duty investigators and Metro Narcotics agents, Mayfield said.

Mayfield said he also assigned two officers to help take care of the victim’s family’s needs as a sign of solidarity with other law enforcement agencies. At one point, deputies took a family member of Welford, who fell and hurt herself at the courthouse, to the hospital.

“We didn’t take anybody off the street as far as patrol or anything like that is concerned,” Mayfield said. “We didn’t want to hamper our patrols or regular investigation, but we wanted to do it in a way that showed respect to another sheriff’s office.”

The prosecution and defense teams stayed at the Natchez Grand Hotel throughout the trial.

Fourteen local residents served on the jury.