Shawn “Mickey” Stines, the former sheriff of Letcher County, Kentucky, pleaded not guilty Monday to the murder of District Court Judge Kevin Mullins in the same courthouse where law enforcement officers opened fire on lawyers in September.
Attorney Jeremy Bartley said Monday that Stins has a “compelling defense” ready to prove the shooting death of a longtime colleague in his office. Courier-Journal Reported
The length of the sheriff’s testimony in a case involving sexual assault earlier that month was “That’s sure to be important in this case,” Bartley added, according to the newspaper.
“I believe that’s the piece,” Bartley said after Monday’s court proceedings. That lasted about five minutes. “This is a great story. It’s a difficult story to tell in some ways. We look forward to sharing a more complete story as we move through this judicial process.”
A sheriff is accused of shooting a judge in his own chamber in an execution that was captured on video; The complaint has been returned.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines during a preliminary hearing in Morgan County District Court on October 10, 1 Nov 2024. (Scott Utterback/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Attorney General Jackie Steele declined to comment when asked if he thought the deposition contributed to the shooting. But said he does not expect Stines to face any additional charges. In addition to the murder of government officials He told media it was too early to know whether he planned to pursue the death penalty in the case.
Two women filed the lawsuit. One of them accused Letcher County Deputy Ben Fields of forcing her to perform a sexual act in the same judge’s chambers where the shooting took place. which does not have a camera The woman was under house arrest. It is alleged that the deputy repeatedly sexually assaulted her over six months in exchange for release from prison.
Stines is accused in the suit. “Willful indifference in failing to provide adequate training and supervision,” said Fields, who was convicted of state charges and sentenced to several months in prison. The said legal action is currently being considered.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case said Stines’ deposition lasted several hours. And they were surprised by the shooting, according to the Courier-Journal.
Ned Pillersdorf One of the lawyers representing the plaintiff Stines told the outlet that he had heard varying opinions on whether the deposition was related to the events of the Sept. 9/19 shooting. His co-counsel accepted the deposition, he said, and recalled that Stines had “behavior Weird” all the time
A Kentucky sheriff is charged with the murder of a judge who did not plan to commit the murder. ‘Heat of Love’: Lawyers
Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines points a gun at District Court Judge Kevin Mullins. (Letcher County Handout)
Stines was denied bond Monday. Bartley said they plan to file a hostile bond application. But told the store that It is “unlikely” that it will succeed.
Retired Judge Julia H. Adams appointed to serve as special judge in Steins’ case. told the outlet that she decided not to grant the former sheriff’s bond after She said the charges were “important considerations”, citing the seriousness of the offense as an important factor in her decision.
Defense Attorney Jeremy Bartley asks KSP Detective Clayton Stamper questions at Shawn “Mickey” Stines at a preliminary hearing in Morgan County District Court, Oct. 1, 2024. (Scott Utterback/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Stines pleaded not guilty on Sept. 9, 25. He officially resigned from his position as sheriff at the end of September. This was after receiving a letter from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky General Counsel S. Travis Mayo urging him to do so. He is being held for two counties at the Leslie County Jail, police said.
It is not clear what inspired the former sheriff. pull the trigger–
A Kentucky sheriff has been charged with fatal shooting by a judge who was dismissed in a rape-related case the day before.
District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was killed by Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, in his courtroom. The official said (Kentucky Judiciary; Letcher County Sheriff’s Office)
Kentucky State Police Det. Clayton Stamper testified at the preliminary hearing that the two men had eaten lunch with a group in the hours before the incident. Courier-Journal Reported
According to Stamper, Stines tried to call his daughter on his own phone. Then call Mullins.
“Our investigators seized two cell phones and are being analyzed,” Kentucky State Police Detective Matt Gayhart told authorities earlier. Daily Mail–
“I was informed that the judge gave Mickey a statement saying, ‘Do we need to meet privately in my room?’” Stamper testified. The Associated Press reports
New video shows a Kentucky sheriff pointing a gun at a judge before he is accused of fatally shooting him.
Former Letcher County, Ky., Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines looks at prosecutors during his arraignment at the Morgan County Courthouse in West Liberty, Ky., on Tuesday, Oct. 10, Oct. 1. 2024 Stines is accused of murdering District Judge Kevin Mullins. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
“It could be, but I don’t know the facts,” Stamper said when asked if Stins was. Inspiration to shoot Mullins From what he saw on the judge’s phone
“I have talked with him. But he didn’t say anything about why this happened,” Stamper said, according to the AP. “But he was calm… Basically, he just said, ‘Treat me fairly’.”
When Stines was taken into custody He is accused of telling another officer, “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and child,” Stamper said.
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Bartley before tell people that the shooting “was not something planned and occurred amidst the heat of passion”
“For us, the highest level of offense should be manslaughter based on some defense of extreme emotional distress,” Bartley said.
The shooting in Whitesburg shook the community of Letcher County, Kentucky, where Steins served as bailiff in Mullins Court. Before becoming a sheriff in 2018
“We were all shocked by this,” Garnard Kincer Jr., a friend of Mullins and former mayor of Jenkins, told People. “It almost immobilized us. We can’t believe it happened.”
