Meet The Sheriff

Photo of Sheriff Stratton Stokes


Stratton F. Stokes is the elected Sheriff of Duplin County, North Carolina. He is a lifelong native of Duplin County and was raised in Northeast, a rural farming community. Sheriff Stokes began serving the citizens of Duplin County in 2005. Sheriff Stokes is married to Jennifer Stokes, and the proud father of one son. His wife has worked as an educator since 2011 in the public school system.

Sheriff Stokes graduated from Wallace Rose-Hill High School in 2000. In 2004 he graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. After graduating he began his law enforcement career with Duplin County Sheriff’s Office as a Jailer. In 2006 he graduated Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy at Coastal Carolina Community College. He then went to the Patrol Division at Duplin County Sheriff’s Office obtaining the rank of Sergeant. While there he was also a member of the Special Response Team and a Field Training Officer. 

After his service as a deputy sheriff, in 2011 Sheriff Stokes was accepted into the 40th North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Academy. Upon graduation he was assigned to the Coastal District covering Craven, Pamlico, Jones, Carteret, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, New Hanover, Columbus and Brunswick Counties. As special Agent, he specialized in major homicide, advanced crime scene, narcotics, and corruption investigations. He was also the Marijuana Eradication Coordinator for the Coastal District.

In 2013, he was honored to receive the “Sharon Alston Agent of the Year Award”. In the same year he received his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standard Commission. 

In 2014, Sheriff Stokes was accepted to Campbell University School of Law and graduated in 2017. While in law school, Sheriff Stokes received several Book Awards and continued to serve as a reserve Deputy with Duplin County Sheriff Office until he was elected Sheriff in 2022. After graduation he opened a general practice firm in Kenansville, North Carolina.

Sheriff Stokes and his family are proud to call Duplin County home. Sheriff Stokes is honored to serve the great citizens of beautiful Duplin County.