Current:Home > MarketsKentucky sheriff accused of killing judge in Letcher County pleads not guilty-LoTradeCoin
Kentucky sheriff accused of killing judge in Letcher County pleads not guilty
View Date:2024-12-23 21:21:20
GRAYSON, Ky. — In his first court appearance Wednesday morning, the Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a district judge inside his courthouse last week pleaded not guilty.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines, who appeared virtually while he remains jailed in Leslie County, is being represented by public defender Josh Miller until someone more permanent fills the role.
Stines is accused of shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins inside his private chambers Thursday afternoon, six days before the arraignment. He will appear next Tuesday at 1 p.m. for his preliminary hearing.
The case against Kentucky Sheriff Mickey Stines
Stines' case made national headlines when the shooting happened last week, bringing a spotlight to Whitesburg, in southeastern Kentucky near the Virginia border.
Stines, who's served as the town's sheriff since he was elected in 2018, is accused of shooting Mullins, who'd been the town's judge since 2009, in his private chambers at the Letcher County courthouse just before 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon. There were other people in the building, though it's unclear how much of the confrontation they may have seen.
No one else was injured, and Stines, 43, surrendered at the scene. He's been held since then at the jail in Leslie County, about 50 miles east of Whitesburg. Wednesday's court hearing took place in Carter County, north of those two communities.
No motive has been released, and Stines has not spoken since the shooting. The two men had been friends, Whitesburg residents have said, with a long working relationship — Stines served as a bailiff in court for Mullins, 54, before winning his election.
Coverage from Whitesburg:The question haunting a Kentucky town: Why would the sheriff shoot the judge?
The men also had deep ties to the community, which has had an impact on the case. Letcher County Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Butler recused himself because of his familial ties to Mullins — they were each married to a pair of sisters at one time — and the case is now being handled by special prosecutor Jackie Steele, a commonwealth's attorney for a nearby jurisdiction, along with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
District Judge Rupert Wilhoit has been appointed to serve as special judge in the case. Wednesday's hearing took place in his courtroom.
A stay in an open federal case
Stines is a defendant in an ongoing federal lawsuit over allegations a former sheriff's deputy traded favorable treatment for a woman on home incarceration in exchange for sexual favors inside Mullins' private courthouse office. A second woman later joined the case.
The deputy in that case, Ben Fields, pleaded guilty to several state charges in that case including third-degree rape and was released from prison on probation this summer after serving several months behind bars. Stines was not accused of trading sex for favorable treatment but is accused of failing to train and monitor Fields, and Mullins was not accused of wrongdoing.
Stines was deposed in that case for more than four hours on Sept. 16, three days before the shooting, but attorneys for the plaintiffs said last week they aren't sure whether Mullins' death was connected to that testimony.
Plaintiffs filed a motion calling for mediation last week, as the discovery in the case is "almost complete." But attorneys for both sides requested a stay for at least 60 days following the shooting — U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins granted that request in a Monday order.
Reporter Marina Johnson contributed. Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected].
veryGood! (6389)
Related
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- Coco Gauff, Deion Sanders and the powerful impact of doubt on Black coaches and athletes
- Inside Shakira's Fierce New Chapter After Her Breakup With Gerald Piqué
- He's a singer, a cop and the inspiration for a Netflix film about albinism in Africa
- Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
- Lithuania to issue special passports to Belarus citizens staying legally in the Baltic country
- Here’s Why Everyone Loves Candier Candles — And Why You Will, Too
- Luis Rubiales, Spain's soccer federation boss, faces sexual assault lawsuit for Jenni Hermoso kiss
- Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
- UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis
Ranking
- Homes of Chiefs’ quarterback Mahomes and tight end Kelce were broken into last month
- Why thousands of U.S. congregations are leaving the United Methodist Church
- Montana park partially closed as authorities search for grizzly bear that mauled hunter
- Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev meet again in the US Open men’s final
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- Sweden brings more books and handwriting practice back to its tech-heavy schools
- This Best-Selling Earbud Cleaning Pen Has 16,000+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews & It's on Sale
- Several wounded when gunmen open fire on convoy in Mexican border town
Recommendation
-
Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
-
‘The Nun II’ conjures $32.6 million to top box office
-
UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis
-
College football Week 2 grades: Baylor-Utah refs flunk test, Gus Johnson is a prophet
-
Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries
-
College football Week 2 grades: Baylor-Utah refs flunk test, Gus Johnson is a prophet
-
Nightengale's Notebook: Christian Walker emerging from shadows to lead Diamondbacks
-
Pearl Jam postpones Indiana concert 'due to illness': 'We wish there was another way around it'