‘Murderous’ Kentucky sheriff is hit with new charge after executing judge in his court house

A former Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a judge in his chambers was arraigned Monday on new criminal charges.

Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, did not speak or show any emotion during the hearing at the Letcher County Courthouse – the same one where he is accused of fatally shooting Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in his chambers on September 19. CNN reports.

Instead, his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his chained client to a new charge of murdering a government official.

Stines had also previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges, for which a grand jury indicted him last week and a special judge appointed to preside over the case said he faces the death penalty.

But on Monday, defense attorney Jeremy Bartley argued that Stines has a “compelling defense” for the shooting, which he previously called a crime of passion, committed while Stines was experiencing “extreme emotional disturbance.”

He claimed that a statement his client made several days prior to the shooting “is part of that defense.” according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

The former sheriff, who resigned from his position after his arrest, was one of many parties sued in federal court in 2022 about allegations that Ben Fields, then a Letcher County sheriff’s deputy, traded favorable treatment from a woman sitting at home for sexual favors at Mullins’ private courthouse.

Stines is not accused of participating in the exchange, for which Fields spent several months in jail, but plaintiffs have argued he failed to train and supervise the deputy.

Stines is accused of fatally shooting Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in his chambers on September 19.

He was scheduled to make a statement on September 16 – just four days before he allegedly waltzed into Mullins’ chambers in Whitesburg, spoke to the judge and opened fire eight times.

Bartley noted that the timing of the statement is “certainly something that will be critical in this case.”

“I really believe this is a stretch,” he said. ‘This is a big story. It’s a story that’s difficult to tell in some ways.

“We look forward to sharing a more complete version of that as we move through this legal process.”

Police have said Stines walked into the judge’s outer office, told court staff he needed to speak to Mullins alone, and then shot him as soon as they entered the inner office.

Video of the incident, which was played in court during Stines’ previous hearing in October, 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 ground – and fired again.

A detective who testified at the hearing also claimed that Stines tried to call his daughter — whose number is stored on Mullins’ phone — just before the fatal shooting.

Stines had been the Letcher County sheriff at the time of the shooting and was apparently close friends with the judge

Footage of the shooting showed a man, identified by police as Stines, pull out a gun and shoot the judge as he sat at his desk.

Mullins, who had held the judgeship for fifteen years, died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds, and Stines surrendered without incident.

He was later seen walking out of the courthouse with his hands up and surrendering to officers, who handcuffed him. Stines reportedly told the police to treat me fairly when he was arrested.

He also allegedly told police, “They are trying to kidnap my wife and child,” the detective testified.

Investigators found no weapon on Mullins or in his rooms, the detective said.

Stines will remain behind bars in Leslie County after a judge denied him bond Monday

A motive for the shooting remains unclear, especially since DailyMail.com revealed that Stines and Mullins were once close friends.

They even shared an outdoor table at the popular Streetside Grill & Bar on Main Street for lunch, just a few hundred yards from the courthouse, just hours before the shooting.

The pair were regulars at the sports bar during lunch together and ordered their usual on that fateful Thursday – both had the $13.99 wings with salad.

Stines will now remain behind bars in Leslie County ahead of a possible trial after a judge denied him bond Monday — citing concerns about safety, community safety and the seriousness of the charges against him.