Former Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in the fatal courthouse shooting of a judge

Associated Press

A former Kentucky sheriff charged in a judge’s shooting death pleaded not guilty Monday in the same courthouse where they worked together and where the attack occurred, and one of his attorneys later predicted they will present a compelling case in his defense.

Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is accused of gunning down District Judge Kevin Mullins in the judge’s chambers. Mullins, who held the judgeship for 15 years, died at the scene and Stines surrendered without incident.

A grand jury indicted Stines last week on one count of murder of a public official. Stines, who served as sheriff for several years, resigned after the Sept. 19 attack at the courthouse in Whitesburg, a small Appalachian town about 100 miles (146 kilometers) southeast of Lexington, near the Virginia border.

After the arraignment Monday, defense attorney Jeremy Bartley pointed to a deposition that Stines gave in the days before the shooting as an important factor in the case. The deposition came in a federal lawsuit claiming Stines failed to adequately train and supervise a deputy who was accused of forcing a woman to have sex in Mullins’ chambers in exchange for staying out of jail.

“I think the deposition has several important roles in this case,” Bartley said in a phone interview. “I think that there’s not a single factor, but I do think it’s going to be a large portion of the story we tell.”

No bond was set during the hearing Monday, so Stines will remain jailed in another county. The judge cited “community safety concerns” and the severity of the charge as reasons she declined to set a bond amount for Stines. His defense team plans to request bond at a future hearing, Bartley said.

Police have given no motive for the shooting.

Video of the judge being shot was played at a court hearing last month. The video, which didn’t include audio, showed a man identified by police as Stines pulling out a gun and shooting the judge as he sat at his desk. The man walked around the desk, pointed the gun at the judge — who had fallen to the floor — and fired again, it showed. Some people in the courtroom gallery sobbed as it was played.

Mullins died from multiple gunshot wounds, a Kentucky State Police detective said at the earlier hearing.

The detective also testified that Stines tried calling his daughter on Mullins’ phone and his own phone just before the shooting. Investigators found no weapon on Mullins or in his chambers, the detective said.

Stines could face the death penalty if he’s convicted of the murder charge. Prosecutors said Monday it’s too early to say whether they will pursue the death penalty, media outlets reported.

Stines’ lawyers are far from mapping out their full defense strategy, Bartley said, but he added: “We believe that we have a compelling story that we hope to be a complete defense for Mickey.”

At an earlier hearing, Bartley suggested that murder was not the appropriate charge because the shooting came at a time of “extreme emotional disturbance” for his client.

On Monday, he said the timing of the deposition given by Stines will be relevant.

“I think that Mr. Stines’ demeanor prior to, during the deposition and after are going to be important things to look at,” Bartley said. “The substance of what the deposition dealt with — or what other people may have been concerned that this deposition dealt with — can be important factors.”

Stines fired the deputy after the lawsuit was filed, The Courier Journal reported at the time. The deputy was found guilty of trading favorable treatment in exchange for sexual favors.