LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (Court TV) — The defense team for a former Kentucky sheriff charged in the murder of a judge is pushing back on the prosecution’s request to move the trial.
Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is charged with murder in the September 19, 2024, shooting death of Kevin Mullins inside the judge’s chambers at the Letcher County Courthouse. The incident was captured on surveillance video showing Stines firing multiple shots at the judge.
Former Letcher County Ky. Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, right, confers with his attorney Jeremy Bartley during his arraignment at the Morgan County Courthouse in West Liberty, Ky., Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Stines is accused in the shooting death of Ky. District Judge Kevin Mullins. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
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Stines’ defense filed multiple motions on Sept. 2, including one in opposition to the commonwealth’s motion for change of venue. In a petition filed Aug. 29, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele argued that extensive media coverage and deep community connections to both men make it impossible for Stines to receive a fair trial in Letcher County or surrounding Eastern Kentucky counties.
In response, Stines’ defense argued that moving the case would violate Stines’ constitutional right to be tried by a jury of his peers in the community where the alleged crime occurred.
“This case is one that has garnered international coverage, much less national, much less state attention. Court TV has aired each hearing live and in progress. Every state news outlet has covered this case. Social media is overrun with posts,” the defense brief states.
The Commonwealth had argued that both Stines and Mullins were elected officials in small Letcher County, making a fair trial impossible due to local relationships and regional media coverage focusing on the case.
However, the defense contends that only Stines faces prejudice from the coverage, noting that media reports typically begin with video of the shooting. They argue the Commonwealth gained an advantage by using the Letcher County grand jury to secure an indictment, but now seeks to move the trial when coverage appears more balanced.
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Stines’ defense also filed an additional brief supporting their motion to dismiss the indictment, claiming prosecutors presented false and misleading testimony to the grand jury that led to his charges.
In the motion, the defense argues that Kentucky State Police Detective Clayton Stamper gave false testimony when he told grand jurors that the investigation showed Stines was “in his sane mind” at the time of the shooting.
The defense claims multiple witnesses described concerning behavior from Stines in the weeks leading up to the shooting. According to the motion, attorney Daniel Dotson told investigators he advised Stines to seek mental health treatment before the shooting and “contacted the Kentucky Bar Association to determine what action he could take.”
The defense also alleges that jail mental health evaluations conducted shortly after Stines’ arrest documented “active psychosis” and that he was prescribed antipsychotic medications Risperidone and Seroquel while in custody.
Additionally, the defense claims Detective Stamper falsely testified that Judge Mullins had no connection to a civil lawsuit involving former deputy Ben Fields, when evidence suggests otherwise.
Stines has also filed motions seeking bond and requesting that his psychological evaluation be unsealed. The Commonwealth has opposed the defense motions, with prosecutors arguing that the psychological evaluation should remain sealed to prevent tainting potential jurors in the high-profile case.
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