LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (WJHL) — The former Letcher County sheriff accused of killing a district judge in his chambers in September appeared in front of a packed courtroom on Monday, the same building in which the alleged murder took place.
Shawn Mickey Stines was indicted on Nov. 21 on a new charge of murder of a public official in the death of district judge Kevin Mullins. He was arraigned in person on the new charge at noon on Monday.
Retired Judge Julia H. Adams presided over the arraignment. A new judge will take over the case in the near future.
Stines entered a not-guilty plea on Monday for the murder of a public official. Adams said after “significant consideration,” she would not admit Stines a bond as of Monday.
Stines’ attorneys said they hoped to later file for an adversarial bond, to which Adams told them they had every right to do.
Jackie Steele, the prosecutor for the 27 Judicial District told NewsNation affiliate News Channel 11 after the arraignment that not granting Stines bond is routine for cases like his.
“He’s charged with the capital crime in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Steele said. “He’s not entitled to bond under the constitution and rules.”
“It’s unlikely (that people with these charges get bond), but certainly we believe that Mr. Stines is someone who, given his past history, that he’s someone that presents a very compelling case for bond,” said one of Stines’ defense attorneys, Jeremy Barley.
Stines’ defense team, comprised of husband and wife duo Jeremy and Kerri Bartley and Jimmy Cox, also filed a motion to preserve evidence, which Steele did not object to.
“It’s typical in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as it is anywhere, we have to preserve evidence so the defendant can look at that evidence and not just take our word for it,” Steele said.
Stines was arrested after Mullins was fatally shot inside the Letcher County courthouse on Sept. 19. At the time, Stines was charged with first-degree murder.
Stines pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge on Sept. 25.
Jeremy Bartley urged for the presumption of innocence on Stines’ behalf, despite evidence that has already been presented.
“We do not concede that this thing is a manslaughter case,” Bartley said. “We do believe that we will put on a full defense that we will urge for an acquittal.”
Stines’ defense hopes to keep the court proceedings in Letcher County.
“We’re gonna have to address the elephant in the room concerning venue, and I believe we’re standing right where this case should be heard,” Bartley said.
Jeremy Bartley claims there is not a corner of Kentucky that has not heard of Stines’ case, and he thinks it is best if the case is heard among the former sheriff’s peers.
Steele told News Channel 11 that he could not speak to a motive in the case and said he could only answer questions related to the court process.
Stines retired from his position as sheriff at the end of September. Before announcing he would retire, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky General Counsel S. Travis Mayo sent Stines a letter formally asking that he resign.
The entire arraignment can be viewed above.
