Nearly a year since a Kentucky judge was gunned down in his courthouse chambers, the issue of whether bond is justified for the former sheriff charged in the killing remains unsettled as he awaits trial.
A defense attorney on Friday recommended a $50,000 cash or property bond for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, arguing he is not a flight risk and poses no danger to himself or the community. Prosecutors countered that Stines is not entitled to bond, citing a section of Kentucky’s constitution that denies bail to those charged with capital offenses.
Stines has been jailed since September 2024, when District Judge Kevin Mullins was fatally shot at the courthouse in Whitesburg. Mullins died at the scene, and Stines — who was sheriff at the time — surrendered without incident. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder of a public official.
On Friday, Circuit Judge Christopher Cohron, serving as special judge in the case, did not immediately rule on the bond request. Both sides were given until Sept. 2 to submit further written arguments on pending pretrial matters. Cohron said he would try to expedite his ruling and could begin considering a trial date once those issues are resolved.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the Sept. 19 shooting, which shocked residents of Whitesburg, a tight-knit Appalachian community about 100 miles southeast of Lexington, near the Virginia border. Stines resigned as sheriff days after the shooting and has since been held without bond in an eastern Kentucky jail.
At the hearing, defense attorney Kerri Bartley told the court her client would be “the lowest possible risk level” if released on bond.
“I just don’t think there’s anything to show that he’s a flight risk,” Bartley said. “There’s nothing to convince the court that he would be a danger to himself or others.”
Bartley emphasized Stines’ ties to the community and family support, noting: “He has a wife and daughter that he can still go home to today.”
Special prosecutor Jackie Steele disagreed, stressing that the charges alone warrant no bond. “What he did in the community ... is irrelevant. The only thing that’s relevant is, in fact, the charges themself,” Steele said.
He pointed to the state constitution’s language: “All prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient securities, unless for capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great.”
At an earlier court hearing, investigators presented a silent video of the fatal shooting. Police said the footage showed Stines pulling out a gun and firing at the judge, who tried to take cover behind his desk. The man then walked around the desk, pointed the gun at Mullins, and fired again.
Stines could face the death penalty if convicted, though prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek it.
The two men had known each other for years, according to investigators. On the day of the shooting, they attended lunch with several others, during which Mullins reportedly asked Stines if they needed to meet privately. The reason for the suggested meeting remains unclear.
Defense lawyers have also filed motions to unseal Stines’ psychological evaluation and to dismiss the indictment. Judge Cohron will decide whether additional hearings are necessary to resolve those matters.
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